World Equity Group Inc. Has $352,000 Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

World Equity Group Inc. decreased its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 46.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,478 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,292 shares during the period. World Equity Group Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $352,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. bought a new position in Marriott International in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc raised its stake in Marriott International by 112.2% during the fourth quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda bought a new position in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 46.7% during the 1st quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marriott International news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.21, for a total transaction of $270,210.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 20,724 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,599,832.04. This represents a 4.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.90, for a total transaction of $3,166,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 124,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $32,741,281.30. This represents a 8.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 10.68% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on MAR. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. UBS Group dropped their price target on Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. Barclays reduced their price objective on Marriott International from $283.00 to $236.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Melius Research raised Marriott International to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Marriott International currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $275.15.

Marriott International Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of Marriott International stock opened at $260.19 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $71.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.63, a PEG ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 1.42. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $252.89 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $263.69. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $204.55 and a 1-year high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.25 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.19 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 100.64% and a net margin of 9.75%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.13 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be paid a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 23rd. This is an increase from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.03%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.52%.

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.