Bethesda, Maryland-based Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (HST) is the largest U.S. lodging real estate investment trust (REIT), owning a geographically diversified portfolio of luxury and upper-upscale hotels. With a market capitalization of approximately $17.5 billion, the company focuses on acquiring, owning, and managing premium hotel properties to generate long-term value through strategic investments, asset management, and disciplined capital allocation.
Shares of the leading lodging REIT have significantly outperformed the broader market over the past year. HST has gained 59.8% during this period, compared with a nearly 10.5% advance in the S&P 500 Index ($SPX). The stock has maintained its strong momentum in 2026, rising 45.4% year-to-date, while the index has gained 10.6% over the same period.
More News from Barchart
HST has also outperformed the broader real estate sector, as measured by the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE), which has gained 7% over the past year. The stock has maintained its lead year-to-date, while XLRE has advanced 8.2%.
HST has outperformed the broader market over the past year, initially benefiting from investor optimism surrounding its luxury hotel portfolio and the anticipated travel boost from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. More recently, sustained leisure travel demand, improving group booking trends, and higher room rates have supported its operating performance. The company's portfolio reinvestments and successive upward revisions to its full-year comparable hotel RevPAR and EBITDAre guidance have further strengthened investor confidence in its earnings prospects.
Meanwhile, on September 15, 2026, Host Hotels & Resorts announced a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share, which was paid on October 15 to shareholders of record as of September 30. The dividend reflects the company's ongoing commitment to returning capital to shareholders.
For the current fiscal year, ending in December 2026, analysts expect HST's EPS to increase 5.8% to $2.19 on a diluted basis. The company's earnings surprise history is impressive. It beat the consensus estimate in each of the last four quarters.
Among the 21 analysts covering HST stock, the consensus is a "Moderate Buy." That's based on 11 "Strong Buy," one "Moderate Buy," and nine "Hold."
The consensus and configuration have been consistent over the past months.
On Oct. 23, 2026, Morgan Stanley analyst Stephen Grambling maintained a "Hold" rating on Host Hotels & Resorts and reiterated his $24 price target.
The mean price target of $25.88 implies a marginal upside from HST's current share price. However, the Street high price target of $29 suggests an upside potential of 12.5%.
On the date of publication, Abhishek Bhuyan did not directly have a position in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com
