Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Hits New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) shares reached a new 52-week high on Friday . The stock traded as high as $331.19 and last traded at $330.8640, with a volume of 276836 shares. The stock had previously closed at $326.45.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on MAR. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Marriott International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $288.00 to $345.00 in a report on Monday, December 15th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Marriott International from $320.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Citigroup raised their price objective on Marriott International from $285.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $278.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of Marriott International from $287.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $316.19.

Marriott International Stock Performance

The stock has a 50 day moving average of $312.61 and a 200 day moving average of $285.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $88.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.13.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.46 billion. On average, research analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, CAO Felitia Lee sold 1,617 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.98, for a total transaction of $494,769.66. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,893 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,497,160.14. The trade was a 24.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Peggy Roe sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $292.12, for a total value of $584,240.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 17,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,102,167.92. This trade represents a 10.27% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 74,490 shares of company stock worth $21,756,389. 10.68% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Marriott International

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Marriott International by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,887 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,479,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 39.1% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 5,805 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,383,000 after buying an additional 1,631 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 39.6% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 19,332 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,605,000 after buying an additional 5,480 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Marriott International by 21.8% during the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,035 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,438,000 after buying an additional 1,079 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Marriott International by 28.4% in the second quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,317 shares of the company’s stock worth $360,000 after acquiring an additional 291 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.