Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Earns Neutral Rating from Analysts at Susquehanna

Susquehanna began coverage on shares of Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) in a report released on Friday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm issued a neutral rating and a $255.00 target price on the stock.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $248.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 2nd. Argus increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 19th. Barclays upped their price target on Marriott International from $239.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, April 19th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Marriott International from $235.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Marriott International from $248.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, May 2nd. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $242.19.

Marriott International Price Performance

NASDAQ MAR opened at $243.53 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $237.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of $238.29. Marriott International has a 52-week low of $170.03 and a 52-week high of $260.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $69.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.59 and a beta of 1.60.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.17 by ($0.04). Marriott International had a net margin of 12.00% and a negative return on equity of 376.88%. The company had revenue of $5.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.95 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.09 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Marriott International will post 9.55 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 24th will be issued a $0.63 dividend. This is a boost from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 23rd. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.03%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is 26.01%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Caprock Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 255.1% during the 4th quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 11,781 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,657,000 after acquiring an additional 8,463 shares during the period. Parnassus Investments LLC lifted its stake in Marriott International by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC now owns 2,457,382 shares of the company’s stock worth $554,164,000 after purchasing an additional 7,135 shares during the period. Redwood Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 208.3% in the 4th quarter. Redwood Investment Management LLC now owns 26,927 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,072,000 after purchasing an additional 18,192 shares during the period. Stifel Financial Corp raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 124,569 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,092,000 after buying an additional 4,247 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC boosted its stake in Marriott International by 86.8% in the 4th quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 44,957 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,138,000 after buying an additional 20,890 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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, and City Express by Marriott brand names, as well as operates residences, timeshares, and yachts.