Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Analysts

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the twenty research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $286.05.

Several equities research analysts have commented on MAR shares. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $246.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $294.00 to $301.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Susquehanna upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $287.00 to $283.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th.

Marriott International Stock Performance

NASDAQ MAR traded down $7.35 on Wednesday, reaching $237.49. The company had a trading volume of 4,300,925 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,423,562. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.58. Marriott International has a 1-year low of $204.55 and a 1-year high of $307.52. The company's fifty day moving average is $275.53 and its 200-day moving average is $269.81.

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Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.46% and a negative return on equity of 116.67%. On average, research analysts forecast that Marriott International will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 27th will be issued a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 27th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.06%. Marriott International's payout ratio is currently 30.29%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 of the company's stock, valued at $7,089,714.45. This represents a 12.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider William P. Brown sold 12,642 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.63, for a total value of $3,610,934.46. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 30,919 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,831,393.97. This trade represents a 29.02 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 31,694 shares of company stock worth $8,938,132. Corporate insiders own 12.32% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Marriott International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 112.2% during the fourth quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 104 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its position in Marriott International by 494.4% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 107 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.