Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. Purchases 1,640 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 38.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,919 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,640 shares during the quarter. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $2,105,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Evelyn Partners Investment Management Services Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International in the first quarter worth about $25,000. IMG Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in Marriott International by 100.0% during the first quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 82 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC grew its stake in Marriott International by 127.0% during the 1st quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 84 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Marriott International during the 1st quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Marriott International by 57.6% in the 1st quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on MAR. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $410.00 target price on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Marriott International from $406.00 to $456.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 3rd. Deutsche Bank dropped their price target on Marriott International from $379.00 to $372.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. TD Cowen raised Marriott International to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Finally, Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Marriott International in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $399.04.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other news, insider David Marriott sold 3,500 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $352.09, for a total transaction of $1,232,315.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 282,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $99,424,230.47. The trade was a 1.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Benjamin Breland sold 2,500 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $423.32, for a total value of $1,058,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 23,899 shares in the company, valued at $10,116,924.68. This represents a 9.47% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 77,824 shares of company stock worth $32,243,110. Insiders own 11.43% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of MAR opened at $429.18 on Thursday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $280.99 and a 12-month high of $433.30. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $371.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $359.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $110.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.83, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 1.15.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The company reported $3.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.84 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $7 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.93 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.68% and a negative return on equity of 69.94%. Marriott International’s quarterly revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.47 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 12.10 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.14%.

About Marriott International

Marriott International is a global lodging company that manages, franchises, and licenses hotels, resorts, and other accommodations. Its portfolio spans luxury, premium, select-service, and extended-stay brands, including The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels, Marriott, Sheraton, Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Moxy. The company traces its origins to a root beer stand opened by J. Willard and Alice Marriott in Washington, D.C., in 1927. It entered the lodging business in the 1950s and is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.