Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) EVP Sells $1,003,275.00 in Stock

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,500 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $286.65, for a total transaction of $1,003,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,089,714.45. This trade represents a 12.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Marriott International Trading Up 0.3 %

Shares of MAR opened at $277.46 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $283.22 and a 200 day moving average of $266.30. The company has a market capitalization of $76.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.35, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.57. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $204.55 and a 12 month high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 116.67% and a net margin of 9.46%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 27th will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.91%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 27th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.29%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. TD Cowen decreased their target price on Marriott International from $295.00 to $283.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Marriott International from $280.00 to $314.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $287.00 to $283.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $295.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $284.05.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marriott International

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MAR. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth $580,922,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 50.8% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,661,101 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,300,168,000 after acquiring an additional 1,570,144 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at about $165,162,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 17.4% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,469,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $967,662,000 after purchasing an additional 512,963 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PointState Capital LP bought a new position in Marriott International during the third quarter worth about $98,249,000. Institutional investors own 70.70% 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.