Highland Capital Management LLC Boosts Stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Highland Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 1,948.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 17,063 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 16,230 shares during the period. Highland Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $4,760,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MAR. New England Research & Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth $886,000. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management increased its stake in shares of Marriott International by 1,935.5% in the fourth quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 631 shares of the company’s stock worth $176,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares during the period. Swedbank AB increased its stake in shares of Marriott International by 6.6% in the fourth quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 67,548 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,842,000 after acquiring an additional 4,162 shares during the period. Field & Main Bank increased its stake in shares of Marriott International by 18.0% in the fourth quarter. Field & Main Bank now owns 2,257 shares of the company’s stock worth $630,000 after acquiring an additional 345 shares during the period. Finally, Strategic Blueprint LLC acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at $562,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR stock opened at $289.66 on Thursday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $282.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $258.23. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $204.55 and a 12 month high of $295.45. The company has a market capitalization of $80.49 billion, a PE ratio of 30.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.64 and a beta of 1.57.

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

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on MAR. Macquarie restated a “neutral” rating and set a $245.00 price target on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on shares of Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Marriott International from $252.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $280.00 to $314.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $249.00 to $286.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $272.15.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In related news, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 2,360 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $285.41, for a total value of $673,567.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 39,726 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,338,197.66. The trade was a 5.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 8,332 shares of Marriott International 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 108,361 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $30,827,620.89. This trade represents a 7.14 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 13,815 shares of company stock worth $3,919,739 over the last three months. Insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

About Marriott International

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.