Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) has earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-two brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have assigned a buy recommendation and two have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $275.15.

MAR has been the subject of several recent research reports. Melius Research upgraded Marriott International to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Barclays dropped their price objective on Marriott International from $283.00 to $236.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Marriott International from $295.00 to $240.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their target price on Marriott International from $293.00 to $285.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MAR traded down $1.16 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $260.78. The company's stock had a trading volume of 48,056 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,601,101. The firm has a market capitalization of $71.43 billion, a PE ratio of 31.40, a P/E/G ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.42. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $244.40 and a two-hundred day moving average of $265.82. Marriott International has a 52 week low of $204.55 and a 52 week high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.25 by $0.07. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 116.67% and a net margin of 9.46%. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.13 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Marriott International will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.03%. This is an increase from Marriott International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio is 30.52%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.21, for a total transaction of $270,210.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,724 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,599,832.04. The trade was a 4.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.90, for a total value of $3,166,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 124,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $32,741,281.30. The trade was a 8.82% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 10.68% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc raised its position in Marriott International by 112.2% during the fourth quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 104 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company's stock.

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.