Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Upgraded at Wells Fargo & Company

Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) to a strong-buy rating in a research note published on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

MAR has been the subject of a number of other research reports. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Marriott International in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Marriott International from $287.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Barclays boosted their target price on Marriott International from $262.00 to $274.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Marriott International from $302.00 to $296.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $289.87.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of MAR traded up $4.85 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $289.05. 144,863 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,622,770. The company has a market cap of $77.57 billion, a PE ratio of 30.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.36. Marriott International has a 52-week low of $205.40 and a 52-week high of $307.52. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $270.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $268.10.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $2.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.38 by $0.09. Marriott International had a net margin of 10.07% and a negative return on equity of 89.29%. The company 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. FY 2025 guidance at 9.980-10.060 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Marriott International will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, August 7th that permits the company to repurchase 25,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 20th will be issued a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 20th. Marriott International’s payout ratio is presently 28.30%.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, insider William P. Brown sold 6,666 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.04, for a total transaction of $1,866,746.64. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 11,000 shares in the company, valued at $3,080,440. This represents a 37.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction of $584,240.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 17,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,102,167.92. This trade represents a 10.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 85,799 shares of company stock worth $24,911,376 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 10.68% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marriott International

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Marriott International by 8.2% in the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,350 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,914,000 after acquiring an additional 558 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the third quarter worth about $29,270,000. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. increased its holdings in Marriott International by 8.2% in the 3rd quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. now owns 897 shares of the company’s stock worth $234,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the period. Morningstar Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at $5,062,000. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in Marriott International by 8.5% during the third quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 34,011 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,858,000 after purchasing an additional 2,659 shares during the period. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.