Wright Investors Service Inc. Lowers Stock Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Wright Investors Service Inc. trimmed its position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 6.5% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 6,378 shares of the company’s stock after selling 440 shares during the period. Wright Investors Service Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,438,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. HF Advisory Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 8.8% in the fourth quarter. HF Advisory Group LLC now owns 6,077 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,370,000 after buying an additional 491 shares in the last quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 38.3% in the fourth quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt now owns 563 shares of the company’s stock worth $127,000 after buying an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 334.6% in the fourth quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC now owns 4,363 shares of the company’s stock worth $984,000 after buying an additional 3,359 shares in the last quarter. Lakeside Advisors INC. bought a new position in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $203,000. Finally, Financial Strategies Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $204,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other news, insider Satyajit Anand sold 2,749 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.93, for a total transaction of $692,555.57. Following the sale, the insider now owns 24,478 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,166,742.54. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, insider Satyajit Anand sold 2,749 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.93, for a total value of $692,555.57. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 24,478 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,166,742.54. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.48, for a total value of $4,969,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 93,323 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,188,899.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 125,003 shares of company stock worth $30,435,493 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

NASDAQ:MAR traded up $1.55 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $240.01. The company had a trading volume of 544,031 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,427,449. The company has a market capitalization of $69.36 billion, a PE ratio of 23.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.62. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $248.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $225.04. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $162.77 and a 52 week high of $260.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $3.57 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.12 by $1.45. The business had revenue of $6.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.20 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 13.00% and a negative return on equity of 848.49%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.96 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 22nd were issued a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 21st. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.41%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAR has been the topic of several research analyst reports. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $210.00 to $259.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $234.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 18th. Mizuho began coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Tuesday, March 26th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $263.00 price target on the stock. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $248.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $236.81.

Marriott International Profile

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, and City Express by Marriott brand names, as well as operates residences, timeshares, and yachts.