Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (HST)

cnbc.com 20 Stocks with the Biggest Potential To Drop. target price 9.58

Real Estate is doing bad and the travel industry is slow. so the growth in the hotel industry is also slow.

vacations

Good company in a decent industry paying a decent yield - expecting it to hold up well regardless of which direction the economy/markets go.

Searching for some three star stocks I could go long on, and I found this company, seems like the stock has taken a bit of a thumping, but now it sports a very nice 4.5% dividend, not to mention they stand to benefit from foreign visitors. Look for this one to rebound and rebound strong once recession fears pass.

#19 yield in S & P 500 as of 04/01/08.

A good hotel and resort. I have a good feeling it will increase

This is the off season for hotels. I've researched several this weekend. The three I have added to my caps pick have all hit their yearly highs in the first half of April.

Of the many I have looked at, this one, HOT and LHO look fantastic.

This is at a 52 week low.

This is a blue chip REIT that has been hammered by the distaste for anything in RE.

This CAPS account is tracking the 200 highest yielding S&P stocks.

52-week low, I'll get in, it'll recover eventually.

Good buyout target

Increased leisure time; disposable income; aging population are all pointing towards a trend upwards for Hotels/Resorts.

25

Okay, I'm in. Normally, I'd stay away from a company with so much LT debt, but I guess that comes with the REIT territory, doesn't it? Good cash flows, Good growth prospects, and any upturn in Real Estate (which will come sooner or later) can only help.

Has made major inroads with Starwood, look for them to capitalize on this in a few years.

This is part of the hotels and resorts picks that i feel strongly about they have the legs to do very well over a long time period the market is buzzing, as this is the Big Brother to marriotts int i favour this as the leader of the pack this has my bullish thumbs up

solid market

Host Hotels and Resorts, Inc. (HST) is a hotel REIT (real estate investment trust) company, which is engaged in the ownership, acquisition, and redevelopment of hotel properties. The Group owns 128 luxury and upper upscale hotel properties in 27 states that are concentrated primarily in central business districts of major cities, airport areas and resort/conference destinations. In addition, HST maintains an ownership interest in a European joint venture, which owns 7 additional properties.

The US lodging industry has rebounded after the downturn from 2000 to 2003 caused by 9/11 attacks that plummeted travel industry and left hotels half empty. Since then, the industry is witnessing higher occupancy rate led by recovery in travel industry and supply constraint. For 2006, industry occupancy increased by 0.5% to 63.4%, average room rate increased 7% to $97.31 and revenue per available room (RevPAR) gained 7.5% to $61.69.

Although, the industry room supply increased 0.6% in 2006, but demand (roomnights sold) gained by 1.1% and as a result room revenue increased by 8.1% to $100 billion. During 2007, the industry outlook remains bright as demand among all travelers remains high, and bookings for conferences and meetings continue to increase. Endorsing the same, RevPar is expected to grow by around 6% in the coming year.

For 2007, the company has guided RevPAR growth of 6 to 8%, increase in special corporate rate in the range of 8-10%, new supply around 1%. Combined with healthy demand, HSTs portfolio is well positioned to deliver another strong year of earnings and EBITDA growth. The company is also working to enhance its hotels portfolio, which is evident by its recent acquisition of a resort hotel. With robust booking expectation and positive industry synergies, HST makes a good investment proposition.