Analysts Set Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) PT at $269.65

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) has been given an average rating of “Hold” by the twenty ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $269.65.

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Marriott International from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $238.00 to $261.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marriott International news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.49, for a total transaction of $137,245.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,286 shares in the company, valued at $3,372,384.14. The trade was a 3.91 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total transaction of $485,300.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 23,077 shares in the company, valued at $6,560,791.10. This trade represents a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 13,815 shares of company stock valued at $3,919,739. 12.32% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. PointState Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $98,249,000. Canoe Financial LP purchased a new position in Marriott International during the third quarter valued at approximately $77,331,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Marriott International by 15,148.3% in the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 302,527 shares of the company’s stock worth $75,208,000 after purchasing an additional 300,543 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 36,856.7% during the 2nd quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 241,327 shares of the company’s stock valued at $58,346,000 after purchasing an additional 240,674 shares during the period. Finally, AXA S.A. boosted its holdings in Marriott International by 133.4% in the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 221,045 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,442,000 after buying an additional 126,323 shares during the period. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marriott International Trading Up 1.4 %

NASDAQ MAR opened at $273.53 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $281.79 and a 200-day moving average of $254.57. Marriott International has a 1-year low of $204.55 and a 1-year high of $295.45. The firm has a market cap of $76.01 billion, a PE ratio of 28.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.47 and a beta of 1.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.31 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.27 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.11 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Marriott International will post 9.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 21st were issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.92%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International’s payout ratio is currently 26.36%.

About Marriott International

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.