Analysts Set Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Price Target at $272.75

Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the twenty-one brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $276.60.

MAR has been the topic of several research reports. Barclays reduced their price objective on Marriott International from $283.00 to $236.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $245.00 price target (down from $313.00) on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Marriott International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $226.00 to $303.00 in a research report on Monday. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $294.00 to $301.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $277.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MAR opened at $272.59 on Thursday. Marriott International has a 1 year low of $204.55 and a 1 year high of $307.52. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $238.33 and a 200-day simple moving average of $266.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $74.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.76, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.39.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.19 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.46% and a negative return on equity of 116.67%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.13 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Marriott International will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.98%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. This is a boost from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.52%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.21, for a total transaction of $270,210.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,724 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,599,832.04. This trade represents a 4.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $286.65, for a total value of $1,003,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,733 shares in the company, valued at $7,089,714.45. This represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 32,694 shares of company stock valued at $9,208,342 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 10.68% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MAR. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth about $580,922,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in Marriott International by 50.8% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,661,101 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,300,168,000 after purchasing an additional 1,570,144 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in Marriott International by 23,923.3% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 731,989 shares of the company’s stock valued at $174,360,000 after purchasing an additional 728,942 shares during the period. Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the first quarter valued at $166,059,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Marriott International by 18.9% in the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,123,836 shares of the company’s stock worth $982,298,000 after buying an additional 654,766 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Company Profile

Marriott International, Inc engages in operating, franchising, and licensing hotel, residential, timeshare, and other lodging properties worldwide. It operates its properties under the JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, St. Regis, EDITION, Bvlgari, Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels, Le Méridien, Delta Hotels by Marriott, Tribute Portfolio, Gaylord Hotels, Design Hotels, Marriott Executive Apartments, Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, Courtyard by Marriott, Fairfield by Marriott, Residence Inn by Marriott, SpringHill Suites by Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton, TownePlace Suites by Marriott, Aloft Hotels, AC Hotels by Marriott, Moxy Hotels, Element Hotels, Protea Hotels by Marriott, City Express by Marriott, and St.