Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Stock

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) had its price objective upped by Barclays from $249.00 to $286.00 in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

MAR has been the topic of a number of other reports. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $233.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective 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. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Marriott International from $238.00 to $261.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Marriott International from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marriott International presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $266.25.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of MAR opened at $287.08 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $79.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.56 and a beta of 1.58. Marriott International has a fifty-two week low of $204.55 and a fifty-two week high of $295.45. The business has a 50-day moving average of $274.76 and a 200 day moving average of $248.93.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.27 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.11 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Marriott International will post 9.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 21st will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.88%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.36%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marriott International news, CAO Felitia Lee sold 916 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.48, for a total value of $253,255.68. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,609 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,550,776.32. This represents a 14.04 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.49, for a total transaction of $137,245.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 12,286 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,372,384.14. The trade was a 3.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 13,815 shares of company stock worth $3,919,739 over the last three months. Company insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in Marriott International by 10.8% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 379 shares of the company’s stock worth $94,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 0.4% during the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 8,698 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,162,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Haverford Trust Co raised its holdings in Marriott International by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Haverford Trust Co now owns 4,207 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,046,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Rockland Trust Co. boosted its stake in Marriott International by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 1,802 shares of the company’s stock valued at $436,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,075 shares of the company’s stock worth $743,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

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.