Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Stake Lowered by XML Financial LLC

XML Financial LLC decreased its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 42.9% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 4,503 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,385 shares during the period. XML Financial LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,256,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MAR. Silvant Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the third quarter worth about $33,000. ORG Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 158.5% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 137 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Marriott International in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, Kimelman & Baird LLC bought a new stake in Marriott International during the second quarter worth approximately $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on MAR shares. Argus boosted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $238.00 to $261.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Macquarie reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $245.00 price target on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Marriott International from $252.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Marriott International from $251.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marriott International currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $272.15.

Marriott International Stock Up 1.0 %

NASDAQ:MAR opened at $280.41 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $282.19 and a 200 day moving average price of $256.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $77.92 billion, a PE ratio of 29.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.59 and a beta of 1.57. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $204.55 and a 12-month high of $295.45.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.31 by ($0.05). Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.27 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.11 EPS. Marriott International’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.25 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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 yield of 0.90%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.36%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marriott International news, CAO Felitia Lee sold 916 shares of the 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 sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,609 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,550,776.32. This represents a 14.04 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.49, for a total transaction of $137,245.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,286 shares in the company, valued at $3,372,384.14. This trade represents a 3.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 13,815 shares of company stock valued at $3,919,739. 12.32% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.