1,093 Shares in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Acquired by Optas LLC

Optas LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 1,093 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $305,000.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Jensen Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in Marriott International in the third quarter valued at approximately $793,000. BayBridge Capital Group LLC acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth $1,254,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. grew its stake in Marriott International by 0.5% in the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 566,548 shares of the company’s stock valued at $140,844,000 after acquiring an additional 2,723 shares during the period. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the third quarter worth about $2,721,000. Finally, Kinsale Capital Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $3,769,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Stock Up 0.1 %

NASDAQ:MAR opened at $290.75 on Wednesday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $204.55 and a 12-month high of $295.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $80.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.41, a P/E/G ratio of 4.68 and a beta of 1.57. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $283.11 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $259.42.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced 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 business had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.27 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.11 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 21st were issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International’s payout ratio is 26.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total transaction of $485,300.10. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 23,077 shares in the company, valued at $6,560,791.10. This trade represents a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Felitia Lee sold 916 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.48, for a total transaction of $253,255.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,609 shares in the company, valued at $1,550,776.32. This trade represents a 14.04 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 13,315 shares of company stock valued at $3,782,494 in the last three months. 10.07% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MAR has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Macquarie restated a “neutral” rating and set a $245.00 target price on shares of Marriott International in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on Marriott International from $295.00 to $283.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Marriott International from $262.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Evercore ISI upgraded Marriott International from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $276.35.

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.