Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Hits New 1-Year High at $257.32

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $257.32 and last traded at $257.27, with a volume of 405259 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $254.35.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MAR has been the topic of several analyst reports. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Marriott International from $250.00 to $248.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. UBS Group increased their price target on Marriott International from $210.00 to $259.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $205.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 2nd. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $234.00 to $239.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $236.81.

Marriott International Stock Performance

The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $248.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $223.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $74.71 billion, a PE ratio of 25.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.62.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $3.57 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.12 by $1.45. Marriott International had a net margin of 13.00% and a negative return on equity of 848.49%. The business had revenue of $6.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.20 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.96 EPS. The business's revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 22nd were issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 21st. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.80%. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio is currently 20.41%.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In other news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.48, for a total transaction of $4,969,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 93,323 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,188,899.04. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 20,000 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.48, for a total value of $4,969,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 93,323 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,188,899.04. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Satyajit Anand sold 2,749 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.93, for a total transaction of $692,555.57. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 24,478 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,166,742.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 125,003 shares of company stock worth $30,435,493 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 10.07% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MAR. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 2.4% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 13,938 shares of the company's stock worth $2,450,000 after acquiring an additional 330 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 5.8% in the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 3,444 shares of the company's stock worth $605,000 after acquiring an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. Synovus Financial Corp lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 13.3% during the 1st quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 3,873 shares of the company's stock worth $682,000 after purchasing an additional 455 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 12.1% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 43,563 shares of the company's stock worth $7,708,000 after purchasing an additional 4,685 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 64.9% during the 1st quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 27,406 shares of the company's stock worth $4,816,000 after purchasing an additional 10,790 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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, and City Express by Marriott brand names, as well as operates residences, timeshares, and yachts.