Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Position Boosted by Korea Investment CORP

Korea Investment CORP raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 51.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 137,952 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 46,652 shares during the period. Korea Investment CORP’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $38,480,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Graney & King LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $82,000. Parametrica Management Ltd acquired a new position in Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $337,000. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 521.4% in the fourth quarter. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 1,740 shares of the company’s stock valued at $488,000 after buying an additional 1,460 shares in the last quarter. TIAA Trust National Association lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. TIAA Trust National Association now owns 47,952 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,376,000 after acquiring an additional 394 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Modern Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter worth $243,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Marriott International from $285.00 to $277.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Susquehanna lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $289.00 to $298.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of Marriott International from $308.00 to $300.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Marriott International from $280.00 to $314.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marriott International currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $286.05.

Marriott International Stock Down 0.9 %

Shares of Marriott International stock opened at $244.45 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $204.55 and a 12-month high of $307.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $67.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.38, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.58. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $273.13 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $270.25.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.46% and a negative return on equity of 116.67%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 27th will be given a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 27th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.29%.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In other news, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 24,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,089,714.45. This represents a 12.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Susan C. Schwab sold 1,054 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $277.48, for a total value of $292,463.92. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 4,551 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,262,811.48. This trade represents a 18.80 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 31,694 shares of company stock worth $8,938,132 over the last three months. 12.32% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Marriott International 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.