Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) has earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the seventeen research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $248.65.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Marriott International from $268.00 to $250.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. UBS Group cut their price target on Marriott International from $267.00 to $244.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. Macquarie reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $245.00 price objective on shares of Marriott International in a report on Friday, August 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $235.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Marriott International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the company from $247.00 to $262.00 in a report on Thursday, August 29th.

Marriott International Trading Up 2.4 %

Shares of MAR opened at $247.38 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $70.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.34 and a beta of 1.59. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $229.54 and its 200 day moving average price is $237.69. Marriott International has a 12-month low of $180.75 and a 12-month high of $260.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $2.50 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.49 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $6.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.47 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 239.60% and a net margin of 12.01%. Marriott International’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.26 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Marriott International will post 9.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 16th will be issued a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 16th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.01%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Capital International Investors grew its stake in Marriott International by 42.2% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 3,147,501 shares of the company’s stock worth $709,793,000 after buying an additional 934,304 shares during the period. Global Assets Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in Marriott International during the 1st quarter worth $153,697,000. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado increased its holdings in Marriott International by 557.2% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 496,505 shares of the company’s stock valued at $111,967,000 after purchasing an additional 420,962 shares in the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lifted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 36,856.7% during the second quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 241,327 shares of the company’s stock worth $58,346,000 after purchasing an additional 240,674 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pathstone Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth about $46,187,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.