NS Partners Ltd Buys 233 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

NS Partners Ltd boosted its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 0.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 151,032 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 233 shares during the quarter. Marriott International comprises about 1.6% of NS Partners Ltd’s holdings, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. NS Partners Ltd owned 0.05% of Marriott International worth $37,547,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Canoe Financial LP bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the third quarter valued at approximately $77,331,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 15,148.3% during the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 302,527 shares of the company’s stock worth $75,208,000 after purchasing an additional 300,543 shares during the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lifted its stake in Marriott International by 36,856.7% in the second quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 241,327 shares of the company’s stock worth $58,346,000 after acquiring an additional 240,674 shares during the period. Capital International Investors lifted its stake in Marriott International by 4.7% in the first quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 3,296,879 shares of the company’s stock worth $831,836,000 after acquiring an additional 149,378 shares during the period. Finally, AXA S.A. lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 133.4% during the second quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 221,045 shares of the company’s stock valued at $53,442,000 after buying an additional 126,323 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MAR has been the topic of several research reports. Macquarie reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $245.00 price target on shares of Marriott International in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $240.00 to $249.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Marriott International from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $259.00.

Marriott International Trading Down 0.8 %

MAR opened at $279.27 on Wednesday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $200.94 and a 1 year high of $289.04. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $258.72 and a 200 day moving average price of $242.46. The stock has a market cap of $77.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.21, a PEG ratio of 5.48 and a beta of 1.58.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.31 by ($0.05). Marriott International had a net margin of 11.18% and a negative return on equity of 177.91%. The firm had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.27 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.11 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 21st will be given a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 21st. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.90%. Marriott International’s payout ratio is 26.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, CAO Felitia Lee sold 916 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $276.48, for a total value of $253,255.68. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,609 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,550,776.32. This trade represents a 14.04 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 2,360 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.41, for a total value of $673,567.60. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 39,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,338,197.66. The trade was a 5.61 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 12,108 shares of company stock worth $3,434,439. Insiders own 10.07% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Company 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.