Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Hits New 1-Year High After Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) hit a new 52-week high on Monday after The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded the stock from a neutral rating to a buy rating. The Goldman Sachs Group now has a $345.00 price target on the stock, up from their previous price target of $288.00. Marriott International traded as high as $310.23 and last traded at $309.5240, with a volume of 1013534 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $298.72.

MAR has been the subject of a number of other reports. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on Marriott International from $287.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $329.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $302.00 to $296.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price target on Marriott International from $278.00 to $283.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $296.87.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In other news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,650 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $286.10, for a total transaction of $472,065.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 18,225 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,214,172.50. The trade was a 8.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Peggy Roe sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $292.12, for a total transaction of $584,240.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 17,466 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,102,167.92. This trade represents a 10.27% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 86,672 shares of company stock valued at $25,174,655 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 10.68% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,774,015 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,410,384,000 after buying an additional 230,820 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Marriott International by 1.2% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,488,566 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,592,371,000 after acquiring an additional 114,973 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 21.7% during 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 during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 2.0% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,223,539 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,420,308,000 after purchasing an additional 102,798 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its position in shares of Marriott International by 7.2% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,921,767 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,281,825,000 after purchasing an additional 330,952 shares during the period. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marriott International Trading Up 3.3%

The business has a 50 day moving average of $281.81 and a 200-day moving average of $272.46. The stock has a market cap of $82.78 billion, a PE ratio of 32.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.15.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $2.47 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.38 by $0.09. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 89.29% and a net margin of 10.07%.The business had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.46 billion. Marriott International has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.540-2.620 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 9.980-10.060 EPS. Research analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 20th will be issued a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 20th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.30%.

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.