Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) have received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the eighteen research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $256.39.

MAR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $240.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Marriott International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price target for the company from $247.00 to $262.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $240.00 to $251.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $267.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MAR. Global Assets Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Marriott International during the first quarter worth approximately $153,697,000. Canoe Financial LP purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at $77,331,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 15,148.3% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 302,527 shares of the company’s stock valued at $75,208,000 after acquiring an additional 300,543 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 36,856.7% in 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 acquiring an additional 240,674 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,616,899 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,678,750,000 after acquiring an additional 192,652 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of Marriott International stock opened at $260.63 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $74.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.15 and a beta of 1.59. Marriott International has a 52-week low of $180.75 and a 52-week high of $266.58. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $241.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $238.66.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $2.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.49 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $6.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.47 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 12.01% and a negative return on equity of 239.60%. The firm’s revenue was up 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.26 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Marriott International will post 9.37 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 16th were paid a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.97%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 16th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.01%.

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.