Huazhu Group Limited (NASDAQ:HTHT) Builds Toward Near-Term Momentum Rebound

Huazhu Group presents mixed technical signals and stronger operating margins that support a tactical recovery attempt, while capital structure and revenue dynamics keep valuation stretched.

Recent News

On Feb 12 the company reached a new 12‑month high; Feb 14 brought a published downgrade to Hold from an independent research source; Feb 21 included a consensus broker recommendation classified as “Moderate Buy” alongside reported institutional share transactions and later public director disclosures in March.

Technical Analysis

The ADX at 22.89 signals an emerging trend rather than a fully established one; both directional indicators show reversal behavior—DI+ has completed a dip-and-reversal and DI- shows a peak-and-reversal—indicating directional pressure shifting in favor of buyers despite DI- remaining numerically above DI+; that shift supports the headline view of a potential short-term momentum rebound.

MACD stands negative at -1.10 with a decreasing trend and a signal line at -0.66, a pattern that denotes prevailing bearish momentum; the declining MACD tempers the bullish implications from directional indicators and suggests momentum breadth requires confirmation before strength becomes durable.

The MRO reads 8.1 with a dip-and-reversal; the positive MRO level indicates price sits modestly above the model target and carries limited mean‑reversion downside if selling resumes, while the dip-and-reversal in MRO supports a near-term constructive tilt for price alignment with valuation.

RSI at 47.36 and decreasing shows neutral-to-weak momentum; the combination of an emerging ADX, reversal signals on the DIs, and a sub‑50 RSI favors a range-bound recovery toward the short-term moving averages rather than an immediate breakout.

Price relationships show current close $46.93 below the ichimoku Kijun and Senkou lines (~$51.53) and below the 20‑day average ($49.31), while the 200‑day average sits at $44.97; Bollinger bands center near $49.31 with 1×/2× bands at $51.34/$53.38 and $47.28/$45.25 on the lower side, implying resistance clustered near $50–$53 and support nearer the $45–$47 area.

 


Fundamental Analysis

Profitability: EBIT of $1,842,000,000 produces an EBIT margin of 28.23%, which sits above the industry peer mean of 22.04% and the industry peer median of 15.85%, and expands sharply YoY (+121.67%) though it fell QoQ (-11.84%). Operating margin mirrors this strength at 29.15% with an operating‑margin YoY increase of +128.89% and a small QoQ contraction of -0.93%.

Earnings and cash flow: Reported EPS $4.06 versus an estimate $2.43 yields an EPS surprise of +67.08%. Operating cash flow reached $3,443,000,000 and free cash flow $3,238,000,000, producing a free cash flow yield of 2.10% and free cash flow to net income of 276.04%—cash generation supports corporate flexibility even as free cash flow growth rates show mixed quarterly dynamics.

Revenue and growth: Total revenue $6,525,000,000 with reported revenue growth of -6.26% and a revenue growth QoQ figure of -175.22% and YoY figure of -230.97% as reported; those QoQ/YoY values indicate sharp reported contractions over the measured intervals and remain a material offset to margin expansion when assessing near‑term operating momentum.

Balance sheet and leverage: Total debt $36,069,000,000 and debt to EBITDA of 16.82 indicate elevated leverage levels; debt to equity at 281.70% and debt to assets at 55.68% reflect a debt‑heavy capitalization. Interest coverage remains robust at 21.42×, providing coverage buffer despite high nominal leverage.

Efficiency and working capital: Asset turnover at 10.17% falls below the industry peer mean of 20.35%, pointing to lower revenue per asset dollar; the cash conversion cycle at -8.56 days denotes favorable working capital timing, while net working capital remains negative at -$1,692,000,000.

Valuation: Price multiples show a P/E of 12.38×, P/S of 23.66×, and P/B of 12.06× (above the industry peer mean and median for P/B). Enterprise multiple near 81.69 and forward P/E of 57.27x highlight divergence between trailing profit metrics and forward expectations. WMDST values the stock as over‑valued given stretched market multiples relative to operating and revenue dynamics.

MOST-RECENT QUARTERLY REPORT
REPORT PERIOD ENDING: 2025-12-31
REPORT DATE: 2026-03-18
NEXT REPORT DATE: 2026-06-17
CASH FLOW  Begin Period Cash Flow 7.3 B
 Operating Cash Flow 3.4 B
 Capital Expenditures -205.00 M
 Change In Working Capital 594.0 M
 Dividends Paid
 Cash Flow Delta 3.3 B
 End Period Cash Flow 10.5 B
 
INCOME STATEMENT REVENUE
 Total Revenue 6.5 B
 Forward Revenue 3.3 B
COSTS
 Cost Of Revenue 3.9 B
 Depreciation 302.0 M
 Depreciation and Amortization 302.0 M
 Research and Development
 Total Operating Expenses 4.6 B
PROFITABILITY
 Gross Profit 2.6 B
 EBITDA 2.1 B
 EBIT 1.8 B
 Operating Income 1.9 B
 Interest Income 62.0 M
 Interest Expense 86.0 M
 Net Interest Income -24.00 M
 Income Before Tax 1.8 B
 Tax Provision 571.0 M
 Tax Rate 32.517 %
 Net Income 1.2 B
 Net Income From Continuing Operations 1.2 B
EARNINGS
 EPS Estimate 2.43
 EPS Actual 4.06
 EPS Difference 1.63
 EPS Surprise 67.078 %
 Forward EPS 0.78
 
BALANCE SHEET ASSETS
 Total Assets 64.8 B
 Intangible Assets 10.6 B
 Net Tangible Assets 2.2 B
 Total Current Assets 17.4 B
 Cash and Short-Term Investments 15.3 B
 Cash 10.4 B
 Net Receivables 723.0 M
 Inventory 57.0 M
 Long-Term Investments 1.4 B
LIABILITIES
 Accounts Payable 1.0 B
 Short-Term Debt 5.3 B
 Total Current Liabilities 19.1 B
 Net Debt
 Total Debt 36.1 B
 Total Liabilities 51.8 B
EQUITY
 Total Equity 12.8 B
 Retained Earnings 3.6 B
VALUATION & PER-SHARE METRICS EQUITY & PER-SHARE METRICS
 Book Value Per-Share 4.17
 Shares Outstanding 3.072 B
 Revenue Per-Share 2.12
VALUATION
 Market Capitalization 154.4 B
 Enterprise Value 175.1 B
 Enterprise Multiple 81.693
Enterprise Multiple QoQ 46.069 %
Enterprise Multiple YoY -32.069 %
Enterprise Multiple IPRWA high: 130.17
HTHT: 81.693
mean: 79.719
median: 73.484
low: -2.827
 EV/R 26.843
CAPITAL STRUCTURE
 Asset To Equity 5.059
 Asset To Liability 1.25
 Debt To Capital 0.738
 Debt To Assets 0.557
Debt To Assets QoQ -4.77 %
Debt To Assets YoY -1.731 %
Debt To Assets IPRWA high: 1.609
median: 0.781
mean: 0.71
HTHT: 0.557
low: 0.019
 Debt To Equity 2.817
Debt To Equity QoQ -9.943 %
Debt To Equity YoY -3.223 %
Debt To Equity IPRWA high: 12.912
HTHT: 2.817
mean: -0.066
median: -1.681
low: -8.585
PRICE-BASED VALUATION
 Price To Book (P/B) 12.056
Price To Book QoQ 20.863 %
Price To Book YoY 37.877 %
Price To Book IPRWA high: 26.123
HTHT: 12.056
median: 0.928
mean: -0.999
low: -26.316
 Price To Earnings (P/E) 12.378
Price To Earnings QoQ 52.979 %
Price To Earnings YoY -62.48 %
Price To Earnings IPRWA high: 247.068
mean: 125.657
median: 119.266
HTHT: 12.378
low: -96.27
 PE/G Ratio -0.842
 Price To Sales (P/S) 23.657
Price To Sales QoQ 38.968 %
Price To Sales YoY 33.823 %
Price To Sales IPRWA high: 27.836
HTHT: 23.657
mean: 13.876
median: 12.243
low: 0.273
FORWARD MULTIPLES
Forward P/E 57.266
Forward PE/G -3.894
Forward P/S 46.549
EFFICIENCY OPERATIONAL
 Operating Leverage 2.772
ASSET & SALES
 Asset Turnover Ratio 0.102
Asset Turnover Ratio QoQ -6.268 %
Asset Turnover Ratio YoY 5.182 %
Asset Turnover Ratio IPRWA high: 0.603
mean: 0.204
median: 0.185
HTHT: 0.102
low: 0.043
 Receivables Turnover 7.699
Receivables Turnover Ratio QoQ 0.539 %
Receivables Turnover Ratio YoY 7.376 %
Receivables Turnover Ratio IPRWA high: 47.268
HTHT: 7.699
mean: 7.599
median: 3.172
low: 0.996
 Inventory Turnover 66.458
Inventory Turnover Ratio QoQ 0.619 %
Inventory Turnover Ratio YoY -2.455 %
Inventory Turnover Ratio IPRWA HTHT: 66.458
high: 56.869
median: 41.341
mean: 31.279
low: 0.802
 Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) 11.852
CASH CYCLE
 Cash Conversion Cycle Days (CCC) -8.557
Cash Conversion Cycle Days QoQ 7.745 %
Cash Conversion Cycle Days YoY -13.778 %
Cash Conversion Cycle Days IPRWA high: 84.283
mean: 7.144
median: 2.075
HTHT: -8.557
low: -80.186
CAPITAL DEPLOYMENT
 Cash Conversion Ratio -3.856
 CapEx To Revenue -0.031
 CapEx To Depreciation -0.679
 
CAPITAL, LIQUIDITY & COVERAGE CAPITAL STRUCTURE
 Total Capital 13.3 B
 Net Invested Capital 18.6 B
 Invested Capital 18.6 B
 Net Tangible Assets 2.2 B
 Net Working Capital -1.69 B
LIQUIDITY
 Cash Ratio 0.799
 Current Ratio 0.912
Current Ratio QoQ 7.469 %
Current Ratio YoY -8.115 %
Current Ratio IPRWA high: 2.73
mean: 0.992
median: 0.955
HTHT: 0.912
low: 0.36
 Quick Ratio 0.909
Quick Ratio QoQ 7.541 %
Quick Ratio YoY -7.998 %
Quick Ratio IPRWA high: 2.688
mean: 0.967
median: 0.941
HTHT: 0.909
low: 0.162
COVERAGE & LEVERAGE
 Debt To EBITDA 16.823
 Cost Of Debt 0.16 %
 Interest Coverage Ratio 21.419
Interest Coverage Ratio QoQ -17.362 %
Interest Coverage Ratio YoY 106.646 %
Interest Coverage Ratio IPRWA HTHT: 21.419
high: 16.489
median: 5.827
mean: 5.744
low: -12.905
 Operating Cash Flow Ratio 0.096
TIMING / LIQUIDITY
 Days Payables Outstanding (DPO) 21.734
DIVIDENDS
 Dividend Coverage Ratio
 Dividend Payout Ratio
 Dividend Rate
 Dividend Yield
PERFORMANCE GROWTH
 Asset Growth Rate 1.923 %
 Revenue Growth -6.263 %
Revenue Growth QoQ -175.222 %
Revenue Growth YoY -230.97 %
Revenue Growth IPRWA high: 27.02 %
mean: -0.373 %
median: -0.975 %
HTHT: -6.263 %
low: -38.858 %
 Earnings Growth -14.706 %
Earnings Growth QoQ -219.912 %
Earnings Growth YoY -80.648 %
Earnings Growth IPRWA high: 256.238 %
mean: -8.138 %
median: -8.333 %
HTHT: -14.706 %
low: -219.355 %
MARGINS
 Gross Margin 39.908 %
Gross Margin QoQ -4.173 %
Gross Margin YoY 31.134 %
Gross Margin IPRWA high: 82.469 %
median: 40.509 %
mean: 40.025 %
HTHT: 39.908 %
low: -4.539 %
 EBIT Margin 28.23 %
EBIT Margin QoQ -11.839 %
EBIT Margin YoY 121.673 %
EBIT Margin IPRWA high: 58.736 %
HTHT: 28.23 %
mean: 22.036 %
median: 15.849 %
low: -42.727 %
 Return On Sales (ROS) 29.149 %
Return On Sales QoQ -0.925 %
Return On Sales YoY 128.889 %
Return On Sales IPRWA high: 45.049 %
HTHT: 29.149 %
mean: 22.552 %
median: 17.057 %
low: -37.15 %
CASH FLOW
 Free Cash Flow (FCF) 3.2 B
 Free Cash Flow Yield 2.098 %
Free Cash Flow Yield QoQ 66.508 %
Free Cash Flow Yield YoY -10.609 %
Free Cash Flow Yield IPRWA high: 7.195 %
HTHT: 2.098 %
mean: 0.875 %
median: 0.741 %
low: -14.882 %
 Free Cash Growth 116.879 %
Free Cash Growth QoQ -395.485 %
Free Cash Growth YoY 70.886 %
Free Cash Growth IPRWA high: 149.518 %
HTHT: 116.879 %
mean: -32.248 %
median: -39.842 %
low: -365.169 %
 Free Cash To Net Income 2.76
 Cash Flow Margin 28.092 %
 Cash Flow To Earnings 1.563
VALUE & RETURNS
 Economic Value Added 0.03
 Return On Assets (ROA) 1.828 %
Return On Assets QoQ -20.14 %
Return On Assets YoY 2213.924 %
Return On Assets IPRWA high: 6.953 %
mean: 2.398 %
HTHT: 1.828 %
median: 1.778 %
low: -1.795 %
 Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) 4.035 %
 Return On Equity (ROE) 0.092
Return On Equity QoQ -25.912 %
Return On Equity YoY 2178.856 %
Return On Equity IPRWA high: 0.437
HTHT: 0.092
mean: 0.008
median: -0.035
low: -0.363
 DuPont ROE 9.504 %
 Return On Invested Capital (ROIC) 6.676 %
Return On Invested Capital QoQ -20.287 %
Return On Invested Capital YoY 104.284 %
Return On Invested Capital IPRWA high: 20.375 %
HTHT: 6.676 %
mean: 6.382 %
median: 6.096 %
low: -5.359 %

Six-Week Outlook

Near term, technicals favor a range‑bound advance with a positive bias: directional indicators and MRO reversals point toward a consolidation lift, while MACD and a falling RSI require confirmation before momentum broadens. Expect price action to test resistance clustered near the $50–$53 band identified by short‑term moving averages, ichimoku levels, and the supertrend ceiling; failure to reclaim those levels would likely keep the stock near support in the low‑to‑mid $40s. Fundamental contrasts—robust margins and cash generation versus heavy leverage and reported revenue contractions—create asymmetric outcomes: a successful momentum confirmation could carry price toward the analyst mean target near $52.87, while renewed deterioration in revenue or liquidity metrics would reinforce the current valuation premium and keep upside constrained.

About Huazhu Group Limited

H World Group Limited (NASDAQ:HTHT), formerly known as Huazhu Group Limited, develops a comprehensive portfolio of hotel brands catering to diverse market segments. Based in Shanghai, China, the company has expanded significantly since its inception in 2005, establishing a robust presence across the People’s Republic of China and internationally. H World Group manages a vast network of leased, owned, manachised, and franchised hotels, appealing to both budget travelers and luxury clientele. The company’s brand lineup includes domestic names such as HanTing Hotel, JI Hotel, and Crystal Orange Hotel, alongside international brands like Ibis and Novotel. H World Group emphasizes quality and customer satisfaction, continuously refining its offerings to align with guest expectations and industry trends. The rebranding to H World Group Limited in June 2022 underscores the company’s global ambitions and diversified brand strategy. With a commitment to delivering exceptional hospitality experiences, H World Group dedicates itself to creating welcoming environments for travelers worldwide. The company’s ongoing growth strategy focuses on enhancing value and operational excellence across its hotel properties.



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