Hilton CEO Is Optimistic Despite Economic Uncertainty
Skift Take
Amid mixed hotel sector performance, Hilton beat earnings while trimming 2025 guidance as hospitality firms expand with new properties across the US and globally.
The DJIA rose 300 points, the Nasdaq was up 95, the S&P 500 rose 32 points and the 10-year treasury yield was down .04 to 4.17%. Lodging stocks were mixed.
Hilton announced a modest earnings beat for 1Q while cutting 2025 RevPAR guidance to only +1% growth (flat to +2%). That was not a surprise, but commentary on the conference call was somewhat positive with HLT’s view that there is uncertainty, but that this is a bit of an overreaction. In other words, Chris Nassetta of HLT sees the situation as sentiment being too pessimistic, not anything surprising given the climate. In the quarter, HLT bought back $890 million of stock along with another $293 million already in 2Q25. With the average price of the shares repurchased, we applaud HLT for getting more aggressive as the stock dropped, rather than just buying back a set amount no matter what the price. For context, see Skift's story: Hilton's Chris Nassetta Sees 'Overreaction' to Trump Policies and
