Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at China Intl Cap

China Intl Cap upgraded shares of Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) to a strong-buy rating in a report published on Wednesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Marriott International from $350.00 to $356.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Marriott International from $387.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $410.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $410.00 to $395.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, CICC Research began coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Wednesday. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $386.65.

Marriott International Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MAR opened at $354.58 on Wednesday. Marriott International has a fifty-two week low of $256.76 and a fifty-two week high of $410.98. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $375.56 and a 200-day moving average price of $356.13. The firm has a market cap of $92.46 billion, a PE ratio of 36.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.10.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $3.19 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.08 by $0.11. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.62% and a negative return on equity of 75.81%. The firm had revenue of $2.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.65 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Marriott International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.640-11.810 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.740-2.820 EPS. Research analysts predict that Marriott International will post 11.7 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.26%.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, EVP Peggy Roe sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $361.56, for a total value of $1,084,680.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 19,827 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,168,650.12. The trade was a 13.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 11.43% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Evelyn Partners Investment Management Services Ltd purchased a new position in Marriott International in the first quarter worth about $25,000. IMG Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 100.0% during the first quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 82 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC raised its holdings in Marriott International by 127.0% in the 1st quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 84 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, McMillan Office Inc. purchased a new stake in Marriott International during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Company Profile

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.