Brokerages Set Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Target Price at $259.00

Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the nineteen ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $259.00.

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on MAR shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on Marriott International from $222.00 to $216.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Evercore ISI raised their price target on Marriott International from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $267.00 to $244.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Macquarie reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $245.00 target price on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. They set a “buy” rating and a $267.00 price target on the stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR stock opened at $280.18 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $77.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.31, a PEG ratio of 5.48 and a beta of 1.58. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $259.78 and its 200 day moving average is $242.73. Marriott International has a 1-year low of $200.94 and a 1-year high of $289.04.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.31 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.27 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. The company’s revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.11 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Marriott International will post 9.26 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.90%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.36%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marriott International news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 8,332 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.49, for a total transaction of $2,370,370.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 108,361 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,827,620.89. This represents a 7.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Felitia Lee sold 916 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.48, for a total transaction of $253,255.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,609 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,550,776.32. This trade represents a 14.04 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 12,108 shares of company stock worth $3,434,439. Company insiders own 10.07% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marriott International

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. BDF Gestion purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the second quarter worth $3,013,000. Jensen Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $793,000. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 518.7% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 47,519 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,489,000 after purchasing an additional 39,839 shares during the last quarter. BayBridge Capital Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,254,000. Finally, Kinsale Capital Group Inc. purchased a new position in Marriott International during the third quarter worth approximately $3,769,000. 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.