Jefferies Financial Group Issues Positive Forecast for Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Stock Price

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) had its target price increased by stock analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $251.00 to $295.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “hold” rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 6.55% from the stock’s current price.

MAR has been the topic of a number of other research reports. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Marriott International from $238.00 to $261.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on Marriott International from $249.00 to $286.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $269.65.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MAR traded down $2.07 on Thursday, hitting $276.87. 349,120 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,433,192. Marriott International has a one year low of $204.55 and a one year high of $295.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $76.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.96, a PEG ratio of 5.47 and a beta of 1.58. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $280.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $253.40.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marriott International news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.49, for a total transaction of $137,245.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 12,286 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,372,384.14. This represents a 3.91 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 8,332 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.49, for a total transaction of $2,370,370.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 108,361 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $30,827,620.89. This represents a 7.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 13,815 shares of company stock valued at $3,919,739 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marriott International

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Founders Financial Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,245,000. TD Asset Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 13.6% during the 2nd quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 114,776 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,749,000 after acquiring an additional 13,717 shares during the last quarter. Range Financial Group LLC grew its position in shares of Marriott International by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. Range Financial Group LLC now owns 9,646 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,332,000 after acquiring an additional 324 shares during the period. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 4.2% in the second quarter. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,331 shares of the company’s stock worth $322,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the period. Finally, Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 23.7% during the second quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 815 shares of the company’s stock valued at $197,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

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, City Express by Marriott, and St.