Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) CAO Sells $253,255.68 in Stock

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) CAO Felitia Lee sold 916 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $276.48, for a total value of $253,255.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,609 shares in the company, valued at $1,550,776.32. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of MAR traded up $2.56 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $280.24. 662,138 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,470,104. The firm has a market cap of $78.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.05, a P/E/G ratio of 6.21 and a beta of 1.58. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $249.39 and a 200 day simple moving average of $239.69. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $192.27 and a 52-week high of $282.80.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.31 by ($0.05). The company 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 207.04%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.11 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.90%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.36%.

Institutional Trading of Marriott International

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Premier Fund Managers Ltd lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 31.6% during the 3rd quarter. Premier Fund Managers Ltd now owns 250,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,266,000 after buying an additional 60,000 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 3.0% during the third quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 443,103 shares of the company’s stock worth $110,156,000 after purchasing an additional 12,702 shares in the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the third quarter worth about $2,148,000. Prospera Financial Services Inc increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 151.8% during the third quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 3,603 shares of the company’s stock worth $896,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pathstone Holdings LLC increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 3.5% during the third quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 208,994 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,956,000 after purchasing an additional 7,122 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MAR has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group lowered their price target on Marriott International from $267.00 to $244.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. Macquarie reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $245.00 price target on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Tuesday. Mizuho increased their price target on Marriott International from $233.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday. TD Cowen lowered their price target on Marriott International from $295.00 to $283.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Marriott International from $238.00 to $261.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $259.00.

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.