Hilton Worldwide planning REIT spinoff

Hilton Worldwide Holdings plans to spin off its hotel properties into a REIT, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The spinoff will be tax free and the company has already sought the blessing of the Internal Revenue Service, the person said.
Hilton, which owns the Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotel chains, was not immediately available to comment.
The transaction could involve a large chunk of the hotels Hilton owns, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter. The spinoff could be announced as soon as early next year, according to the WSJ, which first reported the news.
Hilton, which owns or leases 147 hotels around the world, raised its full-year profit forecast in October, helped by higher occupancy and room rates.