The Goldman Sachs Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Stock

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) had its target price lifted by analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $280.00 to $314.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s target price indicates a potential upside of 9.42% from the stock’s current price.

Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on MAR. Macquarie reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $245.00 price target on shares of Marriott International in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Bank of America increased their target price on Marriott International from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on Marriott International from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on shares of Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $263.70.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Marriott International stock opened at $286.97 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $271.61 and a 200-day moving average of $247.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $79.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.76 and a beta of 1.58. Marriott International has a 52 week low of $204.55 and a 52 week high of $295.45.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 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 the consensus estimate of $6.27 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. The firm’s revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.11 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Marriott International will post 9.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In related news, 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 108,361 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $30,827,620.89. The trade was a 7.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.49, for a total value of $137,245.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,286 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,372,384.14. The trade was a 3.91 % 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 ninety days. 12.32% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Marriott International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Jensen Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Marriott International in the third quarter worth $793,000. BayBridge Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,254,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its holdings in Marriott International by 0.5% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 566,548 shares of the company’s stock worth $140,844,000 after buying an additional 2,723 shares during the last quarter. Kinsale Capital Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $3,769,000. Finally, Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,844,000. Hedge funds and other 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.