Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. Sells 894 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. cut its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 23.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,956 shares of the company’s stock after selling 894 shares during the quarter. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $746,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Roble Belko & Company Inc increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 845.5% during the first quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 72.6% during the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 126 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Keener Financial Planning LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on MAR. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $239.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, April 19th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Marriott International from $248.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Marriott International from $235.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. Mizuho upped their price target on Marriott International from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. Finally, Susquehanna began coverage on Marriott International in a research note on Friday, June 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $255.00 price target for the company. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $242.19.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MAR traded down $0.48 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $241.77. 6,788,860 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,407,587. The company’s 50 day moving average is $237.41 and its 200 day moving average is $239.18. Marriott International, Inc. has a one year low of $177.10 and a one year high of $260.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $69.05 billion, a PE ratio of 24.95, a P/E/G ratio of 4.55 and a beta of 1.60.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.17 by ($0.04). Marriott International had a net margin of 12.00% and a negative return on equity of 376.88%. The company had revenue of $5.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.95 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.09 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.55 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 28th. Investors of record on Friday, May 24th were issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 23rd. This is a positive change from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.01%.

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