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

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) shares reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday after Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on the stock from $329.00 to $369.00. Sanford C. Bernstein currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Marriott International traded as high as $317.42 and last traded at $317.7690, with a volume of 180889 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $311.03.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on MAR. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $278.00 to $283.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Marriott International from $302.00 to $296.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Marriott International in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $329.00 price target on the stock. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price 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. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Marriott International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $288.00 to $345.00 in a report on Monday, December 15th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Marriott International presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $301.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, 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 value of $584,240.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 17,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,102,167.92. This trade represents a 10.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Felitia Lee sold 1,617 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.98, for a total value of $494,769.66. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,893 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,497,160.14. This represents a 24.84% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 88,289 shares of company stock valued at $25,669,425. Corporate insiders own 10.68% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. AlphaQuest LLC lifted its stake in 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 last quarter. Addison Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 2nd quarter valued at about $34,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 2nd quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. bought a new stake in Marriott International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $87.19 billion, a PE ratio of 34.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $297.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $278.51.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.38 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.46 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 10.07% and a negative return on equity of 89.29%. 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, sell-side analysts predict 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 Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 20th were paid a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 20th. Marriott International’s payout ratio is 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.