Morgan Stanley Issues Positive Forecast for Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Stock Price

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) had its target price increased by equities researchers at Morgan Stanley from $296.00 to $328.00 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 0.74% from the stock’s current price.

MAR has been the subject of several other reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $276.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of Marriott International from $287.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Truist Financial raised their price objective 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. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Marriott International in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $329.00 target price on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marriott International currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $312.50.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of MAR stock traded down $0.20 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $325.59. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 495,260 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,416,842. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $304.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $280.76. Marriott International has a 1-year low of $205.40 and a 1-year high of $331.09. The company has a market cap of $87.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.35, a PEG ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.16.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.38 by $0.09. Marriott International had a net margin of 10.07% and a negative return on equity of 89.29%. The firm had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Marriott International will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 5,483 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $287.11, for a total transaction of $1,574,224.13. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 39,360 shares in the company, valued at $11,300,649.60. The trade was a 12.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Peggy Roe sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 17,466 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,102,167.92. This represents a 10.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 88,289 shares of company stock worth $25,669,425. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Riversedge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Marriott International by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Riversedge Advisors LLC now owns 1,149 shares of the company’s stock worth $357,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the period. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 3.3% during the third quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 1,104 shares of the company’s stock worth $288,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the period. Lazari Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Marriott International by 1.6% in the third quarter. Lazari Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,356 shares of the company’s stock valued at $614,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Marriott International by 4.0% in the second quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC now owns 996 shares of the company’s stock valued at $272,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Valmark Advisers Inc. grew its position in shares of Marriott International by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. now owns 2,462 shares of the company’s stock worth $673,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marriott International Company Profile

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.