The Goldman Sachs Group Initiates Coverage on Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR)

Research analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) in a research note issued on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm set a “buy” rating and a $267.00 price target on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 9.22% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other research firms have also commented on MAR. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Marriott International from $268.00 to $250.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on Marriott International from $222.00 to $216.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Marriott International from $248.00 to $238.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Marriott International from $235.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 19th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised Marriott International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $247.00 to $262.00 in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Marriott International presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $247.33.

Marriott International Stock Up 2.4 %

Shares of MAR opened at $244.46 on Wednesday. Marriott International has a 12 month low of $180.75 and a 12 month high of $260.57. The stock has a market cap of $69.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.23, a P/E/G ratio of 5.34 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $229.76 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $237.90.

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

Institutional Trading of Marriott International

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MAR. Capital International Investors lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 42.2% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 3,147,501 shares of the company’s stock worth $709,793,000 after acquiring an additional 934,304 shares in the last quarter. Global Assets Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 1st quarter valued at about $153,697,000. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado grew its position in shares of Marriott International by 557.2% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 496,505 shares of the company’s stock valued at $111,967,000 after purchasing an additional 420,962 shares during the period. Pathstone Holdings LLC bought a new stake in Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,187,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in Marriott International by 1.8% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,616,899 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,678,750,000 after buying an additional 192,652 shares in the last quarter. 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.