Integrity Alliance LLC. Acquires 2,558 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Integrity Alliance LLC. raised its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 375.1% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,240 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,558 shares during the quarter. Integrity Alliance LLC.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,152,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MAR. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 2.9% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,644,773 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,574,256,000 after acquiring an additional 272,044 shares in the last quarter. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new position in Marriott International during the 2nd quarter worth $81,872,000. William Blair Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Marriott International by 255.5% during the 2nd quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 300,872 shares of the company’s stock worth $111,500,000 after purchasing an additional 216,241 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S increased its holdings in Marriott International by 170.4% during the 2nd quarter. Danske Bank A S now owns 326,743 shares of the company’s stock worth $121,088,000 after purchasing an additional 205,886 shares during the period. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $65,604,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Key Marriott International News

Here are the key news stories impacting Marriott International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Marriott’s board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.73 per share, offering shareholders a cash return. Marriott International Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: The company opened its first property in Laos, a Luxury Collection resort in Luang Prabang, marking its 800th property in Asia Pacific excluding China and extending its regional footprint. Marriott debuts in Laos with new Luxury Collection property
• Positive Sentiment: Several analyst-related headlines pointed to further potential share-price gains, including forecasts from Robert W. Baird, Barclays and Goldman Sachs. Baird analyst outlook Barclays analyst outlook Goldman Sachs forecast
• Neutral Sentiment: Marriott recently beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, and its stock reached a 12-month high afterward. That strong run may have left shares vulnerable to some profit-taking. Marriott reaches a 12-month high following earnings beat
• Negative Sentiment: Freedom Broker downgraded Marriott from “strong-buy” to “hold,” a more cautious recommendation that could be a near-term headwind for the stock. Freedom Broker rating information

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Marriott International in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. They set a “hold” rating for the company. Argus reduced their target price on shares of Marriott International from $445.00 to $425.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Marriott International from $406.00 to $456.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Marriott International from $412.00 to $395.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $394.48.

Marriott International Stock Down 1.8%

NASDAQ:MAR opened at $417.28 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $279.87 and a fifty-two week high of $433.30. The stock has a market cap of $107.45 billion, a PE ratio of 41.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 1.15. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $365.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $357.63.

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

Marriott International Announces Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider David S. Marriott sold 3,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $352.09, for a total transaction of $1,232,315.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 282,383 shares in the company, valued at $99,424,230.47. This represents a 1.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Deborah Harrison sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $352.09, for a total value of $1,232,315.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 282,383 shares in the company, valued at $99,424,230.47. This trade represents a 1.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 11.43% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Marriott International Profile

Marriott International, Inc is a global hospitality company that develops, franchises, licenses and manages hotels, resorts, residences and other lodging properties. Its portfolio includes brands such as Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, W Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, JW Marriott, Courtyard, Fairfield by Marriott, Residence Inn and Element. The company also operates Marriott Bonvoy, a travel loyalty program that provides members with benefits and rewards across participating properties and travel experiences.

Marriott traces its origins to 1927, when J.