Shares of Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. HST have gained 18.8% in the past three months compared with the industry’s growth of 2.3%.
Host Hotels, which has a portfolio of luxury and upper-upscale hotels in top U.S. markets and the Sunbelt region, is poised to benefit from the strong demand drivers in these markets.
Strong leisure demand and improving group business are expected to support the RevPAR growth through healthy occupancy trends. Also, a strategic capital-recycling program and a healthy balance sheet augur well.
Analysts seem positive on this lodging REIT, which currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its 2026 FFO per share has been revised 2 cents northward to $2.13 over the past month.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Factors Behind HST’s Share Price Rise
Host Hotels has a strong Sunbelt exposure and a presence in the top 21 U.S. markets. Its properties are strategically located in central business districts, near major airports and resort and conference destinations, which support both leisure and business travel demand.
In the first quarter of 2026, comparable hotel RevPAR rose 4.4% year over year, while comparable hotel total RevPAR increased 4.6%. Reflecting solid demand trends, management raised full-year 2026 comparable hotel RevPAR growth guidance to 3-4.5% and total RevPAR growth guidance to 3.5-5%. The outlook is supported by continued leisure and group travel demand, as well as incremental demand expected from major events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With supply growth in its markets and chain scales remaining low, this backdrop should support continued RevPAR growth.
Host Hotels continues to sell non-strategic assets and redeploy the proceeds into higher-quality hotels and portfolio reinvestment. Per the company’s May 2026 Investor Presentation, from 2021 to 2026, it completed $2.9 billion of dispositions at a 16.2x EBITDA multiple. Its acquisitions during this period totaled $3.3 billion at a 13.3x EBITDA multiple. With the hotel transaction activity remaining relatively muted, the company’s scale and investment-grade balance sheet provide the flexibility to pursue acquisitions and continue capital recycling when valuations are favorable.
Host Hotels maintains a strong balance sheet that provides flexibility to reinvest in its portfolio. As of March 31, 2026, the company had approximately $3.4 billion of total available liquidity. Total debt was approximately $5.1 billion, with a weighted average maturity of 4.9 years and a weighted average interest rate of 4.8%. The company had no significant debt maturities in 2026. Net leverage was 2.5x on a credit facility basis, while 99% of the consolidated portfolio was unencumbered, underscoring its financial flexibility. This strong liquidity position should help Host Hotels fund its 2026 capital program while preserving financial flexibility for acquisitions and shareholder returns, including dividends and share repurchases.
Host Hotels continues to emphasize shareholder returns through dividends and repurchases. The board authorized a regular quarterly dividend of 20 cents per share and a special dividend of 72-cent per share, payable in mid-July to stockholders of record at the end of June. During the first quarter, the company repurchased 4.0 million shares for $75 million at an average price of $18.97, and it had $405 million of remaining authorization at quarter end. This supports continued capital returns to shareholders.
With the factors mentioned above, the positive trend in the stock is expected to continue in the near term.
Risks Likely to Affect HST’s Positive Trend
Macroeconomic uncertainty and a cautious approach by many businesses are likely to hurt demand for its properties in the near term. The competitive landscape and elevated interest expenses are other concerns.
Stocks to Consider
Some better-ranked stocks from the broader REIT sector are Cousins Properties CUZ and Welltower WELL, each carrying a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CUZ’s 2026 FFO per share is pegged at $2.95, which indicates year-over-year growth of 3.87%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WELL’s full-year FFO per share is pinned at $6.32, which calls for an increase of 19.47% from the year-ago period’s level.
Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents FFO, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.
7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."
Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.9% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention.
See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (HST): Free Stock Analysis Report
Cousins Properties Incorporated (CUZ): Free Stock Analysis Report
Welltower Inc. (WELL): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).