Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. Takes $196,000 Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor bought 704 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $196,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at about $580,922,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,477,619 shares of the company’s stock worth $412,167,000 after purchasing an additional 32,288 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 19.0% during the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 790,162 shares of the company’s stock valued at $220,408,000 after purchasing an additional 125,993 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its position in Marriott International by 8.4% in the third quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 613,052 shares of the company’s stock worth $152,399,000 after purchasing an additional 47,551 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth $165,162,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marriott International Stock Down 3.0 %

MAR stock opened at $237.01 on Monday. Marriott International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $204.55 and a twelve month high of $307.52. The business’s fifty day moving average is $272.32 and its 200-day moving average is $270.93. The company has a market cap of $65.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.58.

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

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 27th will be paid a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.06%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 27th. Marriott International’s payout ratio is presently 30.29%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $289.00 to $298.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. UBS Group increased their price target on Marriott International from $294.00 to $301.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $246.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Marriott International from $280.00 to $314.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Susquehanna upped their price target 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. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $286.05.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In related news, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.07, for a total transaction of $4,031,458.86. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 14,282 shares in the company, valued at $3,971,395.74. This trade represents a 50.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The stock was 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 directly owns 24,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,089,714.45. The trade was a 12.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 31,694 shares of company stock valued at $8,938,132 over the last three months. 12.32% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.