Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Upgraded to "Strong-Buy" at Melius Research

Melius Research upgraded shares of Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on the stock. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $294.00 to $301.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Marriott International from $275.00 to $267.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $277.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of Marriott International from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Argus boosted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marriott International currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $273.10.

Marriott International Stock Down 0.0 %

Shares of Marriott International stock traded down $0.06 during trading on Monday, hitting $236.20. 1,989,799 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,578,669. The stock has a market cap of $65.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.39, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.42. Marriott International has a 52 week low of $204.55 and a 52 week high of $307.52. The firm's fifty day moving average is $244.16 and its 200-day moving average is $267.41.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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, analysts forecast that Marriott International will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 27th were given a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.07%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 27th. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio is presently 30.29%.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,500 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $286.65, for a total transaction of $1,003,275.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 24,733 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,089,714.45. The trade was a 12.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Susan C. Schwab sold 1,054 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $277.48, for a total value of $292,463.92. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 4,551 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,262,811.48. This represents a 18.80 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 31,694 shares of company stock valued at $8,938,132 in the last three months. Company insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

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

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.