Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Price Target Raised to $301.00

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) had its price target increased by UBS Group from $294.00 to $301.00 in a research note released on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on MAR. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $252.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Marriott International from $287.00 to $283.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $284.45.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of MAR stock opened at $283.52 on Wednesday. Marriott International has a fifty-two week low of $204.55 and a fifty-two week high of $307.52. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $284.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $262.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.88 and a beta of 1.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. On average, research analysts forecast that Marriott International will post 9.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 27th will be given a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 27th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.36%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the company’s 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 sale, the insider now owns 23,077 shares in the company, valued at $6,560,791.10. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 12.32% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC raised its holdings in Marriott International by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC now owns 5,554 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,549,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in Marriott International by 10.8% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 379 shares of the company’s stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. TFG Advisers LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. TFG Advisers LLC now owns 4,426 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,235,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 0.4% in the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 8,698 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,162,000 after buying an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management raised its position in Marriott International by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 3,290 shares of the company’s stock worth $918,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.