Ground Swell Capital LLC Buys Shares of 3,993 Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Ground Swell Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 3,993 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $965,000. Marriott International makes up approximately 0.7% of Ground Swell Capital LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bangor Savings Bank boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 131.1% during the second quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc boosted its position in Marriott International by 845.5% during the 1st quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in Marriott International in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the second quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the first quarter worth $29,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on MAR. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Marriott International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $247.00 to $262.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on Marriott International from $252.00 to $245.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Marriott International from $248.00 to $238.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $268.00 to $250.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Susquehanna started coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Friday, June 21st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $255.00 target price for the company. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $244.44.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of Marriott International stock opened at $225.67 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.46 billion, a PE ratio of 23.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.35 and a beta of 1.59. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $180.75 and a 52 week high of $260.57. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $230.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $238.48.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $2.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.49 by $0.01. Marriott International had a net margin of 12.01% and a negative return on equity of 239.60%. The business had revenue of $6.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.47 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.26 EPS. Marriott International’s revenue was up 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.37 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 16th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.12%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.01%.

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, City Express by Marriott, and St.