Should You Be Adding Hilton Worldwide Holdings (NYSE:HLT) To Your Watchlist Today?

The excitement of investing in a company that can reverse its fortunes is a big draw for some speculators, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can manage to find investors. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away.

If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Hilton Worldwide Holdings (NYSE:HLT). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

See our latest analysis for Hilton Worldwide Holdings

How Fast Is Hilton Worldwide Holdings Growing?

The market is a voting machine in the short term, but a weighing machine in the long term, so you'd expect share price to follow earnings per share (EPS) outcomes eventually. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. Hilton Worldwide Holdings managed to grow EPS by 7.4% per year, over three years. That might not be particularly high growth, but it does show that per-share earnings are moving steadily in the right direction.

One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. Our analysis has highlighted that Hilton Worldwide Holdings' revenue from operations did not account for all of their revenue in the previous 12 months, so our analysis of its margins might not accurately reflect the underlying business. The music to the ears of Hilton Worldwide Holdings shareholders is that EBIT margins have grown from 39% to 56% in the last 12 months and revenues are on an upwards trend as well. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in our book.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. For finer detail, click on the image.

The trick, as an investor, is to find companies that are going to perform well in the future, not just in the past. While crystal balls don't exist, you can check our visualization of consensus analyst forecasts for Hilton Worldwide Holdings' future EPS 100% free.

Are Hilton Worldwide Holdings Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

We would not expect to see insiders owning a large percentage of a US$38b company like Hilton Worldwide Holdings. But we do take comfort from the fact that they are investors in the company. Notably, they have an enviable stake in the company, worth US$650m. This suggests that leadership will be very mindful of shareholders' interests when making decisions!

Should You Add Hilton Worldwide Holdings To Your Watchlist?

One positive for Hilton Worldwide Holdings is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. For those who are looking for a little more than this, the high level of insider ownership enhances our enthusiasm for this growth. That combination is very appealing. So yes, we do think the stock is worth keeping an eye on. You still need to take note of risks, for example - Hilton Worldwide Holdings has 2 warning signs (and 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) we think you should know about.

There's always the possibility of doing well buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But for those who consider these important metrics, we encourage you to check out companies that do have those features. You can access a free list of them here.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.