Ameritas Advisory Services LLC Sells 47 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Ameritas Advisory Services LLC lowered its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,655 shares of the company’s stock after selling 47 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,125,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 1.8% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,616,899 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,678,750,000 after acquiring an additional 192,652 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its position in shares of Marriott International by 4.7% in the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 3,296,879 shares of the company’s stock worth $831,836,000 after buying an additional 149,378 shares during the last quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC now owns 2,457,382 shares of the company’s stock valued at $554,164,000 after acquiring an additional 7,135 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Marriott International during the 4th quarter valued at $461,525,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Marriott International by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,434,785 shares of the company’s stock worth $323,558,000 after purchasing an additional 27,532 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR stock traded up $4.05 on Thursday, hitting $231.37. 1,954,429 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,484,084. The firm has a market cap of $66.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.88, a PEG ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 1.60. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $232.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $239.31. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $180.75 and a 52 week high of $260.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $2.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.49 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $6.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.47 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 239.60% and a net margin of 12.01%. The firm’s revenue was up 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.26 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.29 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th will be issued a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.09%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 16th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.01%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAR has been the topic of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Marriott International from $235.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $268.00 to $250.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $222.00 to $216.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $267.00 to $244.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Marriott International from $248.00 to $238.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $243.42.

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.