Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Shares Acquired by Blue Trust Inc.

Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 24.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,603 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,303 shares during the quarter. Blue Trust Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,842,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 494.4% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 107 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Silvant Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. ORG Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 158.5% in the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 137 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the period. Finally, Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In related news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 8,332 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.49, for a total transaction of $2,370,370.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 108,361 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $30,827,620.89. This represents a 7.14 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total transaction of $485,300.10. Following the sale, the insider now owns 23,077 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,560,791.10. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 13,815 shares of company stock worth $3,919,739 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Stock Up 1.4 %

MAR stock opened at $288.05 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $80.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.64 and a beta of 1.57. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $204.55 and a 52-week high of $295.45. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $282.24 and its 200-day simple moving average is $257.56.

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

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 21st were issued a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 21st. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.87%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.36%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAR has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. BMO Capital Markets upped 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. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Marriott International from $251.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $272.15.

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.