Aspire Private Capital LLC Has $1.14 Million Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Aspire Private Capital LLC grew its position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 7.2% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 4,079 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 274 shares during the period. Aspire Private Capital LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,138,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Silvant Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. ORG Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 158.5% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 137 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Kimelman & Baird LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 2nd quarter valued at $41,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on MAR shares. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Macquarie reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $245.00 price objective on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Barclays raised their price objective on Marriott International from $249.00 to $286.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Marriott International from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $272.15.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In related news, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 2,360 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.41, for a total value of $673,567.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 39,726 shares in the company, valued at $11,338,197.66. This represents a 5.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 8,332 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.49, for a total value of $2,370,370.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 108,361 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $30,827,620.89. The trade was a 7.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 13,815 shares of company stock worth $3,919,739. 10.07% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Marriott International Price Performance

MAR opened at $277.72 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $282.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $256.39. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $204.55 and a 12 month high of $295.45. The stock has a market cap of $77.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.05, a P/E/G ratio of 4.59 and a beta of 1.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.31 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.27 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. The business’s revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.11 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.25 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 21st were issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 21st. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.91%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.36%.

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, City Express by Marriott, and St.