Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Reaches New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $289.18 and last traded at $289.07, with a volume of 226983 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $284.29.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on MAR shares. Mizuho upped their price target 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. UBS Group lowered 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. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Marriott International currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $260.20.

Marriott International Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $79.37 billion, a PE ratio of 29.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.67 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a fifty day moving average of $264.98 and a 200-day moving average of $244.43.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.31 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.27 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 11.18% and a negative return on equity of 177.91%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.11 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 21st will be issued a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.88%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In related news, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 2,360 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 39,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,338,197.66. This represents a 5.61 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Felitia Lee sold 916 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $276.48, for a total transaction of $253,255.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,609 shares in the company, valued at $1,550,776.32. This trade represents a 14.04 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 13,815 shares of company stock worth $3,919,739 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 10.07% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAR. Tidal Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 86.8% during 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 raised its holdings in Marriott International by 7.7% in the 3rd quarter. Optimist Retirement Group LLC now owns 894 shares of the company’s stock valued at $222,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,260,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 5.8% during the third quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 36,251 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,012,000 after purchasing an additional 1,974 shares during the period. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the third quarter valued at $373,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by 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.