Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Sets New 1-Year High Following Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Marriott hit a new 52-week high after Barclays raised its price target to $372, and several other firms (including Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo) raised targets — MarketBeat shows a consensus of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $353.36.
• Insiders have sold 95,540 shares (about $34.27M) in the last 90 days, even as institutional ownership remains high at 70.7% and big investors like Norges Bank established a new ~$812.6M position.

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday after Barclays raised their price target on the stock from $356.00 to $372.00. Barclays currently has an equal weight rating on the stock. Marriott International traded as high as $373.33 and last traded at $375.2560, with a volume of 125532 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $362.42.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Marriott International from $355.00 to $398.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Marriott International from $323.00 to $356.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Marriott International from $331.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Marriott International from $353.00 to $403.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $353.36.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In related news, EVP Drew Pinto sold 4,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $359.81, for a total transaction of $1,439,240.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 8,221 shares in the company, valued at $2,957,998.01. This represents a 32.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $358.03, for a total value of $716,060.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 26,399 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,451,633.97. This represents a 7.04% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 95,540 shares of company stock valued at $34,274,055. Insiders own 11.43% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAR. Norges Bank bought a new position in Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth $812,570,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in Marriott International by 21.7% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 9,175,377 shares of the company's stock worth $2,389,635,000 after purchasing an additional 1,637,119 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in Marriott International by 37.9% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,363,845 shares of the company's stock worth $423,119,000 after purchasing an additional 374,497 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in Marriott International by 7.2% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,921,767 shares of the company's stock worth $1,281,825,000 after purchasing an additional 330,952 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors raised its holdings in Marriott International by 7.1% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 4,107,531 shares of the company's stock worth $1,274,475,000 after purchasing an additional 272,250 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Marriott International Stock Up 3.8%

The firm has a market cap of $99.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.57, a P/E/G ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 1.10. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $338.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $310.12.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.61 by ($0.03). Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 84.23% and a net margin of 9.93%.The company had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.67 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.45 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. Marriott International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.320-11.570 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.500-2.550 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 26th were paid a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 26th. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio is currently 28.24%.

About Marriott International

Marriott International is a global lodging company that develops, manages and franchises a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities. Its core activities include hotel and resort management, franchise operations, property development and the provision of centralized services such as reservations, marketing and loyalty program management. The company's brand architecture spans market segments from luxury and premium to select-service and extended-stay, enabling it to serve a wide range of business and leisure travelers as well as corporate and group customers.

The company traces its roots to the hospitality business founded by J.

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