Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Hits New 12-Month High Following Analyst Upgrade

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday after Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on the stock from $329.00 to $369.00. Sanford C. Bernstein currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Marriott International traded as high as $317.42 and last traded at $317.7690, with a volume of 180889 shares. The stock had previously closed at $311.03.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $302.00 to $296.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $274.00 to $276.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Marriott International in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $329.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on Marriott International from $287.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $301.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Peggy Roe sold 2,000 shares of Marriott International 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 17,466 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,102,167.92. The trade was a 10.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Felitia Lee sold 1,617 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.98, for a total value of $494,769.66. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,893 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,497,160.14. This trade represents a 24.84% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 88,289 shares of company stock valued at $25,669,425 in the last 90 days. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. AlphaQuest LLC grew its position in Marriott International by 2,750.0% in the 2nd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 114 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Addison Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Marriott International during the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International in the second quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International during the second quarter valued at about $38,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marriott International Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $87.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.16. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $297.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $278.51.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $2.47 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.38 by $0.09. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 89.29% and a net margin of 10.07%.The business had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.46 billion. Marriott International has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.540-2.620 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 9.980-10.060 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 20th were issued a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 20th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.30%.

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.