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

Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nineteen ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have given a buy recommendation and three have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $316.1875.

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MAR. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on Marriott International in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $329.00 target price on the stock. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $287.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Evercore lifted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $320.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upgraded Marriott International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $285.00 to $370.00 in a research note on Friday, January 9th.

Marriott International Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:MAR opened at $333.24 on Friday. Marriott International has a 12-month low of $205.40 and a 12-month high of $333.96. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $313.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $285.55. The firm has a market cap of $89.42 billion, a PE ratio of 35.19, a PEG ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.13.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.38 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.46 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 89.29% and a net margin of 10.07%. On average, research analysts expect that Marriott International will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other Marriott International 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 17,466 shares in the company, valued at $5,102,167.92. This trade represents a 10.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Deborah Marriott Harrison sold 70,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $291.63, for a total transaction of $20,414,100.00. Following the transaction, the insider 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 74,490 shares of company stock worth $21,756,389 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 10.68% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the second quarter worth about $638,968,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Marriott International by 21.7% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 9,175,377 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,389,635,000 after acquiring an additional 1,637,119 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners acquired a new position in Marriott International in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $196,579,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 7.2% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,921,767 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,281,825,000 after acquiring an additional 330,952 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 27,221.0% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 315,558 shares of the company’s stock worth $86,214,000 after purchasing an additional 314,403 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

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.