Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HLT) posted fourth-quarter results on Wednesday that came in ahead of Wall Street expectations, helping lift its shares modestly in early trading.
The hotel operator reported adjusted earnings per share of $2.08, exceeding the $2.02 consensus estimate. Revenue reached $3.09 billion, also above forecasts of $2.99 billion.
Shares gained about 0.43% in premarket trading, as investors focused on the company’s stronger-than-expected profitability despite relatively muted growth in revenue per available room (RevPAR).
Comparable system-wide RevPAR rose 0.5% year over year in the quarter on a currency-neutral basis. Higher average daily rates helped offset a slight decline in occupancy levels. For full-year 2025, comparable RevPAR increased 0.4% compared with 2024.
“We delivered another quarter of strong bottom-line results, demonstrating the continued strength of our business model,” said Christopher J. Nassetta, President & Chief Executive Officer of Hilton. “As we look ahead to 2026, we are increasingly optimistic about the tailwinds building, including improving demand patterns.”
Hilton generated fourth-quarter net income of $298 million and adjusted EBITDA of $946 million, compared with $505 million and $858 million, respectively, in the same quarter a year earlier.
Expansion remained a key focus, with 26,000 rooms added in the fourth quarter alone. This contributed to net unit growth of 6.7% since December 2024. The company’s development pipeline reached a record 520,500 rooms at year-end 2025.
Looking ahead, Hilton expects system-wide comparable RevPAR to grow between 1.0% and 2.0% in 2026 on a currency-neutral basis. The company forecast full-year adjusted EPS of $8.65 to $8.77, below the $9.15 analyst consensus, and anticipates net unit growth of 6.0% to 7.0%.
During the quarter, Hilton returned $792 million to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks, bringing total capital returns for 2025 to $3.3 billion. For 2026, the company plans to return approximately $3.5 billion to shareholders.