Host Hotels & Resorts Inc (HST): Today's Featured Real Estate Winner

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) pushed the Real Estate industry higher today making it today's featured real estate winner. The industry as a whole closed the day up 0.5%. By the end of trading, Host Hotels & Resorts rose 47 cents (3%) to $16.31 on average volume. Throughout the day, eight million shares of Host Hotels & Resorts exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 6.5 million shares. The stock ranged in a price between $15.72-$16.32 after having opened the day at $15.90 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $15.84. Other companies within the Real Estate industry that increased today were: SYSWIN (SYSW), up 16.9%, American Spectrum Realty (AQQ), up 8.4%, Vestin Realty Mortgage I (VRTA), up 5.5%, and Amrep Corporation (AXR), up 4.7%.

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Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. is a publicly owned real estate investment trust (REIT). The firm primarily engages in the ownership and operation of hotel properties. It invests in the real estate markets of United States. Host Hotels & Resorts has a market cap of $10.95 billion and is part of the financial sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 758, above the average real estate industry P/E ratio of 168.4 and above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 7.2% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday. Currently there are six analysts that rate Host Hotels & Resorts a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and 13 rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Host Hotels & Resorts as a hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its growth in earnings per share, compelling growth in net income and revenue growth. However, as a counter to these strengths, we find that the company's profit margins have been poor overall.

• You can view the full Host Hotels Ratings Report.

On the negative front, Resource Capital Corporation (RSO), down 4.1%, Maui Land & Pineapple Company (MLP), down 2.7%, Mission West Properties (MSW), down 2.4%, and Nationstar Mortgage Holdings (NSM), down 2.4%, were all laggards within the real estate industry with Digital Realty (DLR) being today's real estate industry laggard.

• Use our real estate section to find industry-relevant news.
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For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the real estate industry could consider iShares Dow Jones US Real Estate (IYR) while those bearish on the real estate industry could consider ProShares Short Real Estate Fund (REK).

• Find other investment ideas from our top rated ETFs lists.

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