Brokerages Set Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Price Target at $272.15

Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average recommendation of "Hold" from the twenty ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $272.15.

A number of research firms have issued reports on MAR. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $280.00 to $314.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $238.00 to $261.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Marriott International from $252.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Bank of America upped their price objective on Marriott International from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price 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.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR traded up $0.59 on Tuesday, hitting $288.64. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,403,420 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,471,065. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $282.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $257.90. The company has a market capitalization of $80.21 billion, a PE ratio of 30.19, a PEG ratio of 4.64 and a beta of 1.57. Marriott International has a fifty-two week low of $204.55 and a fifty-two week high of $295.45.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.31 by ($0.05). Marriott International had a net margin of 11.18% and a negative return on equity of 177.91%. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.27 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.11 EPS. The company's revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Marriott International will post 9.25 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 21st were given a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 21st. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.87%. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio is currently 26.36%.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

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

Institutional Trading of Marriott International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Canvas Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 7.7% in the fourth quarter. Canvas Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 960 shares of the company's stock valued at $268,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. RAM Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in Marriott International by 20.9% in the 4th quarter. RAM Investment Partners LLC now owns 977 shares of the company's stock valued at $273,000 after acquiring an additional 169 shares during the period. Angeles Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 10.9% during the 4th quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,096 shares of the company's stock valued at $585,000 after purchasing an additional 206 shares during the last quarter. OMC Financial Services LTD boosted its position in Marriott International by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. OMC Financial Services LTD now owns 19,641 shares of the company's stock worth $5,479,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the period. Finally, Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 6,462 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,803,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the period. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.