National Pension Service Raises Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

National Pension Service increased its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 5.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 577,488 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 29,956 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service owned 0.21% of Marriott International worth $137,558,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Marriott International by 0.3% in the first quarter. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC now owns 12,824 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,055,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. 4J Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 3.6% in the first quarter. 4J Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,224 shares of the company’s stock valued at $292,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions LLC raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions LLC now owns 2,019 shares of the company’s stock valued at $587,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 6.6% in the first quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 758 shares of the company’s stock valued at $180,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its stake in Marriott International by 46.7% in the first quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other Marriott International news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.90, for a total value of $3,166,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 124,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $32,741,281.30. The trade was a 8.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.28, for a total transaction of $670,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,706 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,530,805.68. This represents a 30.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 10.68% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Marriott International from $265.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on Marriott International from $285.00 to $280.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 6th. Dbs Bank raised Marriott International from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. Mizuho lowered their price objective on Marriott International from $293.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Marriott International from $283.00 to $236.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Marriott International has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.89.

Marriott International Trading Up 1.8%

Marriott International stock opened at $269.70 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $73.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.44. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $268.88 and its 200-day simple moving average is $261.21. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $205.40 and a 1-year high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.65. The firm had revenue of $6.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.66 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.60% and a negative return on equity of 93.44%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.50 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, August 7th that allows the company to buyback 25,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 21st. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.21%.

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.