Q4 Earnings Show Mixed Results
Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HLT) released strong Q4 earnings. However, net income fell. Meanwhile, fee revenue and EBITDA rose sharply. Shares gained ahead of results.
Stock Performance Shines
Hilton shares closed at $323.70. They rose 3.08% intraday. For instance, the stock traded near record highs. Its 52-week range spanned $196.04 to $325.08. Recent momentum stayed positive. Resilient lodging demand supported this. Additionally, earnings expectations fueled gains. No analyst changes appeared in the press release.
Q4 Earnings Snapshot Highlights Growth
Hilton reported diluted EPS of $1.27. Adjusted diluted EPS hit $2.08. Net income dropped to $298 million. This compared to $505 million last year. However, adjusted EBITDA climbed to $946 million from $858 million. Total revenues grew to $3.09 billion. They rose from $2.78 billion. Management and franchise fees advanced 7.4% year over year. System-wide comparable RevPAR increased 0.5% on a currency-neutral basis. Average daily rates offset lower occupancy.
Full-Year 2025 Results Impress
For 2025, Hilton posted diluted EPS of $6.12. Adjusted diluted EPS reached $8.11. Net income declined slightly to $1.46 billion from $1.54 billion. Yet, adjusted EBITDA surged to $3.73 billion from $3.43 billion. Total revenues expanded to $12.04 billion. This topped $11.17 billion from 2024. System-wide comparable RevPAR grew 0.4% currency-neutral. Management and franchise fees rose 6.4% year over year.
Development Pipeline Expands Rapidly
Hilton opened 26,000 rooms in Q4. For the full year, it added 97,000 rooms. Net unit growth hit 6.7%. Additionally, the development pipeline reached a record 520,500 rooms. It grew 4% from last year. This reflects global expansion.
Capital Allocation Strengthens Balance Sheet
The company repurchased 2.8 million shares in Q4. It returned $3.3 billion to shareholders in 2025. This included buybacks and dividends. Hilton ended the year with $12.5 billion in debt. Cash and equivalents stood at $970 million. During Q4, it issued $1.0 billion in senior notes due 2034.
2026 Outlook Looks Bright
Hilton forecasts RevPAR growth of 1.0% to 2.0%. Net income will range from $1.98 billion to $2.01 billion. Adjusted EBITDA targets $4.00 billion to $4.04 billion. Net unit growth aims for 6% to 7%. Capital returns will total about $3.5 billion.
Key Takeaway on Hilton 2025 Results
Hilton achieved revenue, fee income, and EBITDA growth. Despite lower net income, modest RevPAR gains persisted. Continued unit expansion supports the 2026 outlook.