Forsta AP Fonden Grows Stock Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Forsta AP Fonden increased its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 33.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 65,600 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 16,400 shares during the period. Forsta AP Fonden’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $18,298,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MAR. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 4.8% in the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,024,187 shares of the company’s stock valued at $254,613,000 after acquiring an additional 46,563 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service raised its holdings in Marriott International by 11.6% in the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 719,613 shares of the company’s stock valued at $178,896,000 after acquiring an additional 74,832 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its holdings in Marriott International by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 613,052 shares of the company’s stock worth $152,399,000 after acquiring an additional 47,551 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 566,548 shares of the company’s stock valued at $140,844,000 after purchasing an additional 2,723 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 443,103 shares of the company’s stock valued at $110,156,000 after purchasing an additional 12,702 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have issued reports on MAR shares. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Mizuho boosted their target price on Marriott International from $233.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $249.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Marriott International currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $272.15.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of MAR opened at $289.66 on Thursday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $204.55 and a 1 year high of $295.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $80.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.30, a P/E/G ratio of 4.64 and a beta of 1.57. The company’s fifty day moving average is $282.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $258.23.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted 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 negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. The firm had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.27 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.11 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.25 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.36%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total value of $485,300.10. Following the completion of 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was 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 approximately $3,372,384.14. This represents a 3.91 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 13,815 shares of company stock worth $3,919,739. 12.32% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.