Best Real Estate and Hospitality Stocks To Buy: Ashford Investment Management’s Top Picks

#2 Marriott International Inc (NASDAQ:MAR)

– Shares Owned by Ashford Investment Management (as of December 31): 100,400

– Value of Holding (as of December 31): $6.73 million

Shares of Marriott International Inc (NASDAQ:MAR) are down by 20% over the last 52 weeks, but they have lost just 2% so far this year. In late November, the company announced that it would acquire Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) in a deal valued at $12.2 billion. On February 17, along with its fourth-quarter report, the company announced that, on March 28, shareholders of both companies will meet separately to decide on the transaction. For the fourth quarter, Marriott International Inc (NASDAQ:MAR) reported EPS of $0.77 on revenue of $3.71 billion, compared to $0.68 and $3.56 billion, respectively, it delivered a year earlier. Ken Heebner‘s Capital Growth Management closed its stake in Marriott International during the fourth quarter.

#1 CBRE Group Inc (NYSE:CBG)

– Shares Owned by Ashford Investment Management (as of December 31): 195,800

– Value of Holding (as of December 31): $6.77 million

Apart from being Ashford Investment Management’s top stock pick at the end of December, CBRE Group Inc (NYSE:CBG) is also the top stock among the ones mentioned in this list that has suffered the maximum decline this year (down 26.63%). However, analysts remain bullish on the real estate services and investment firm. Eight of the nine analysts who cover the stock currently have a ‘Buy’ rating on it with an average price target of $39. For its fiscal 2016 fourth quarter, CBRE Group Inc (NYSE:CBG) reported EPS of $0.81 on revenue of $3.70 billion, beating analysts’ estimate of EPS of $0.78 on revenue of $3.41 billion. John W. Rogers‘ Ariel Investments reduced its stake in the company by 8% to 2.86 million shares during the October-December period.

Disclosure: None