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

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) had its price target lifted by Morgan Stanley from $353.00 to $380.00 in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating on the stock.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on MAR. Susquehanna raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $280.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $412.00 price target on Marriott International in a research note on Monday, June 15th. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Marriott International from $388.00 to $386.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 7th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Marriott International from $336.00 to $412.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, June 15th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on Marriott International from $343.00 to $384.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marriott International has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $385.38.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Marriott International stock opened at $366.24 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $376.48 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $350.20. Marriott International has a 52-week low of $253.76 and a 52-week high of $410.98. The firm has a market cap of $96.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.43, a PEG ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 1.11.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.56 by $0.16. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.72% and a negative return on equity of 80.97%. The business had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.32 earnings per share. Marriott International’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. Marriott International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.380-11.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.990-3.060 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Marriott International will post 11.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 22nd were paid a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. This is a boost from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.64%.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other news, EVP Peggy Roe sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $361.56, for a total transaction of $1,084,680.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 19,827 shares in the company, valued at $7,168,650.12. The trade was a 13.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 11.43% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Marriott International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Evelyn Partners Investment Management Services Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC lifted its position in Marriott International by 127.0% during the first quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 84 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Marriott International by 100.0% in the 1st quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 82 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, McMillan Office Inc. purchased a new position in Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

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.