Stifel Nicolaus Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Stock

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) had its price target upped by Stifel Nicolaus from $252.00 to $283.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. Stifel Nicolaus currently has a hold rating on the stock.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $233.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Bank of America boosted their price target on Marriott International from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on Marriott International from $222.00 to $216.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $260.20.

Marriott International Stock Up 1.2 %

Marriott International stock opened at $289.09 on Tuesday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $266.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $245.07. The stock has a market cap of $80.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.24, a P/E/G ratio of 5.62 and a beta of 1.58. Marriott International has a twelve month low of $200.94 and a twelve month high of $290.43.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.31 by ($0.05). Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. The firm had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.27 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.11 EPS. Marriott International’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Marriott International will post 9.26 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 Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 21st will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 21st. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.87%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other news, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 2,360 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $285.41, for a total transaction of $673,567.60. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 39,726 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,338,197.66. The trade was a 5.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.49, for a total value of $137,245.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 12,286 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,372,384.14. The trade was a 3.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 13,815 shares of company stock worth $3,919,739. 12.32% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Marriott International

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 86.8% in the 3rd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 16,375 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,071,000 after purchasing an additional 7,607 shares during the period. Optimist Retirement Group LLC lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 7.7% in the third quarter. Optimist Retirement Group LLC now owns 894 shares of the company’s stock valued at $222,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in Marriott International during the third quarter valued at $1,260,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Marriott International by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 36,251 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,012,000 after acquiring an additional 1,974 shares during the period. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $373,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

About Marriott International

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.