National Pension Service Grows Stock Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

National Pension Service increased its position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 3.3% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 629,672 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 20,078 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $141,997,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAR. ORG Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Marriott International by 72.6% during the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 126 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Keener Financial Planning LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in Marriott International in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Stock Down 0.3 %

NASDAQ MAR traded down $0.64 on Wednesday, reaching $235.35. 1,194,488 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,443,287. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $165.13 and a 12 month high of $260.57. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $246.89 and its 200 day simple moving average is $229.50. The company has a market cap of $67.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.29, a P/E/G ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 1.61.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.17 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $5.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.95 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 376.88% and a net margin of 12.00%. Marriott International’s revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.09 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 22nd were issued a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.88%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 21st. Marriott International’s payout ratio is 21.47%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAR has been the subject of a number of research reports. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $239.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, April 19th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $248.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. Mizuho upped their target price on Marriott International from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $233.00 to $263.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Marriott International from $250.00 to $248.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $241.33.

Insider Activity

In other Marriott International news, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,563 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.39, for a total transaction of $856,509.57. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 36,778 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,841,063.42. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, insider Deborah Marriott Harrison sold 37,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.46, for a total transaction of $9,006,458.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 9,100 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,197,286. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,563 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.39, for a total value of $856,509.57. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 36,778 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,841,063.42. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 125,003 shares of company stock valued at $30,435,493 over the last three months. Insiders own 10.07% of the company’s stock.

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, and City Express by Marriott brand names, as well as operates residences, timeshares, and yachts.