Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Receives $280.89 Average PT from Analysts

Key Points

• Marriott International has been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by 21 analysts, with an average price target of approximately $280.89 for the next year.
• The company reported $2.65 EPS for the last quarter, meeting analysts' expectations, and its revenue increased by 4.7% compared to the previous year.
• A stock buyback program has been initiated by Marriott, allowing the company to repurchase 25 million shares, indicating management believes the stock is undervalued.

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-one brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $280.8947.

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays cut their target price on Marriott International from $283.00 to $236.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Marriott International from $275.00 to $267.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Melius Research upgraded Marriott International to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 21st. UBS Group lowered their price target on Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. Finally, Dbs Bank upgraded Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th.

Marriott International Trading Up 0.1%

MAR stock traded up $0.17 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $266.43. 460,050 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,698,097. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $269.02 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $260.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $72.33 billion, a PE ratio of 30.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.44. Marriott International has a 1-year low of $205.40 and a 1-year high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.65. The company had revenue of $6.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.66 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 93.44% and a net margin of 9.60%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.50 earnings per share. Marriott International has set its FY 2025 guidance at 9.850-10.080 EPS. Q3 2025 guidance at 2.310-2.390 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Marriott International will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Thursday, August 7th that permits the company to buyback 25,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 21st will be given a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 21st. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.21%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.28, for a total value of $670,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,706 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,530,805.68. This trade represents a 30.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 124,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $32,741,281.30. This trade represents a 8.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAR. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Marriott International by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 8,649 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,363,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 2.1% during the first quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 1,831 shares of the company's stock worth $436,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 4.0% during the second quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC now owns 996 shares of the company's stock worth $272,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 0.3% during the first quarter. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC now owns 12,824 shares of the company's stock worth $3,055,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Valmark Advisers Inc. lifted its stake in Marriott International by 1.6% in the second quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. now owns 2,462 shares of the company's stock valued at $673,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.