Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Shares Purchased by Verus Capital Partners LLC

Verus Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 20.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,945 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 328 shares during the period. Verus Capital Partners LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $543,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Marriott International by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 30,877 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,613,000 after buying an additional 1,020 shares during the last quarter. Versor Investments LP acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $223,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Marriott International by 36,564.5% in the fourth quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 360,779 shares of the company’s stock worth $100,636,000 after purchasing an additional 359,795 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Marriott International by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,184 shares of the company’s stock valued at $609,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 12,421 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,465,000 after buying an additional 254 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $278.07, for a total value of $4,031,458.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 14,282 shares in the company, valued at $3,971,395.74. This trade represents a 50.38 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider William P. Brown sold 12,642 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.63, for a total value of $3,610,934.46. Following the sale, the insider now owns 30,919 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,831,393.97. The trade was a 29.02 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 31,694 shares of company stock worth $8,938,132. Corporate insiders own 10.07% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

Marriott International stock opened at $280.45 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $204.55 and a 12-month high of $307.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $77.32 billion, a PE ratio of 33.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.57. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $283.20 and a 200-day simple moving average of $266.94.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 116.67% and a net margin of 9.46%. On average, analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.90%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 27th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.29%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on MAR shares. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $295.00 to $283.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Mizuho increased their price target on Marriott International from $246.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Macquarie restated a “neutral” rating and set a $245.00 price objective on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marriott International presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $284.05.

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.