Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, six have assigned a buy recommendation and three have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $297.00.

MAR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Marriott International from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Marriott International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $288.00 to $345.00 in a report on Monday, December 15th. Barclays upped their price target on Marriott International from $274.00 to $276.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their target price on Marriott International from $278.00 to $283.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other news, insider Deborah Marriott Harrison sold 70,000 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $291.63, for a total value of $20,414,100.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 175,210 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $51,096,492.30. This trade represents a 28.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Felitia Lee sold 1,617 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.98, for a total transaction of $494,769.66. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,893 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,497,160.14. This trade represents a 24.84% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 88,289 shares of company stock valued at $25,669,425. Corporate insiders own 10.68% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marriott International

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Marriott International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. AlphaQuest LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 2,750.0% during the second quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 114 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Addison Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Marriott International during the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Marriott International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the 2nd quarter valued at $38,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marriott International Price Performance

Marriott International stock opened at $314.07 on Friday. Marriott International has a 12-month low of $205.40 and a 12-month high of $316.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $84.28 billion, a PE ratio of 33.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 1.16. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $287.17 and a 200-day simple moving average of $274.47.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $2.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm 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. On average, analysts forecast that Marriott International will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

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

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.