Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Upgraded to "Strong-Buy" at Dbs Bank

Dbs Bank upgraded shares of Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note published on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Marriott International from $293.00 to $285.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Marriott International from $275.00 to $267.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Argus lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised shares of Marriott International from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $276.60.

Marriott International Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of Marriott International stock traded up $1.76 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $273.23. 1,235,005 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,606,277. The stock has a market capitalization of $74.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $239.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $266.75. Marriott International has a 1-year low of $204.55 and a 1-year high of $307.52.

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

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.98%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. This is an increase from Marriott International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio is 30.52%.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In related news, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.07, for a total transaction of $4,031,458.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 14,282 shares in the company, valued at $3,971,395.74. This represents a 50.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.21, for a total transaction of $270,210.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 20,724 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,599,832.04. This represents a 4.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 32,694 shares of company stock valued at $9,208,342. Company insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. acquired a new position in Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc increased its position in Marriott International by 112.2% in the 4th quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 104 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its position in Marriott International by 494.4% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 107 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Finally, Morse Asset Management Inc acquired a new position in Marriott International in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently 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.