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

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) has received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $272.15.

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of Marriott International from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Finally, Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $233.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th.

Marriott International Price Performance

NASDAQ MAR opened at $292.54 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $81.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.64 and a beta of 1.57. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $282.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $258.45. Marriott International has a fifty-two week low of $204.55 and a fifty-two week high of $295.45.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its earnings results 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 negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.27 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.11 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Marriott International will post 9.25 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 21st were paid a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.86%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.36%.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other news, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total transaction of $485,300.10. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 23,077 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,560,791.10. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 2,360 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.41, for a total value of $673,567.60. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 39,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,338,197.66. This represents a 5.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 13,815 shares of company stock valued at $3,919,739 over the last ninety days. 12.32% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Marriott International

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. PointState Capital LP acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $98,249,000. Canoe Financial LP acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the third quarter worth $77,331,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Marriott International by 15,148.3% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 302,527 shares of the company’s stock worth $75,208,000 after purchasing an additional 300,543 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its holdings in Marriott International by 341.6% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 381,226 shares of the company’s stock worth $106,339,000 after purchasing an additional 294,898 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 36,856.7% in the second quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 241,327 shares of the company’s stock valued at $58,346,000 after purchasing an additional 240,674 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.