Marriott International, Inc. $MAR Shares Purchased by BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S

BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S boosted its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 48.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,154 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 4,590 shares during the period. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $3,686,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 2nd quarter worth $638,968,000. Boston Partners purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 2nd quarter worth about $196,579,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,921,767 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,281,825,000 after purchasing an additional 330,952 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Marriott International by 27,221.0% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 315,558 shares of the company’s stock worth $86,214,000 after purchasing an additional 314,403 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Marriott International by 1.5% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,543,195 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,612,606,000 after buying an additional 306,717 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MAR has been the topic of a number of research reports. Evercore raised their target price on shares of Marriott International from $320.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Marriott International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $288.00 to $345.00 in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Marriott International from $287.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $294.00 to $323.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $296.00 to $328.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $316.19.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In related news, EVP Peggy Roe sold 2,000 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $292.12, for a total value of $584,240.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 17,466 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,102,167.92. This trade represents a 10.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Deborah Marriott Harrison sold 70,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $291.63, for a total value of $20,414,100.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 175,210 shares in the company, valued at $51,096,492.30. The trade was a 28.55% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 74,490 shares of company stock valued at $21,756,389. Insiders own 10.68% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Trading Up 2.1%

Marriott International stock opened at $333.24 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $313.17 and a 200-day moving average of $285.55. The stock has a market cap of $89.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.13. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $205.40 and a 52 week high of $333.96.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $2.47 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.38 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.46 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 10.07% and a negative return on equity of 89.29%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International 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.