Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Given New $301.00 Price Target at UBS Group

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) had its price target boosted by UBS Group from $294.00 to $301.00 in a report issued on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. UBS Group currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $295.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on Marriott International from $252.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Marriott International from $287.00 to $283.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Marriott International presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $284.45.

Marriott International Price Performance

NASDAQ MAR opened at $283.52 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $284.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $262.26. The company has a market capitalization of $78.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.66, a PEG ratio of 4.88 and a beta of 1.57. Marriott International has a 1-year low of $204.55 and a 1-year high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. On average, research analysts expect that Marriott International will post 9.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 27th will be issued a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 27th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.89%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.36%.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In related news, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total value of $485,300.10. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 23,077 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,560,791.10. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marriott International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Marriott International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $580,922,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 50.8% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,661,101 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,300,168,000 after purchasing an additional 1,570,144 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the 4th quarter valued at $165,162,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in Marriott International by 17.4% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,469,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $967,662,000 after buying an additional 512,963 shares during the period. Finally, PointState Capital LP purchased a new position in Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $98,249,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.