Blue Trust Inc. Acquires 1,303 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 24.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 6,603 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,303 shares during the quarter. Blue Trust Inc.'s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,842,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MAR. Public Sector Pension Investment Board grew its position in Marriott International by 63.7% during the second quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 8,444 shares of the company's stock worth $2,042,000 after buying an additional 3,287 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in Marriott International by 59.9% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 123,973 shares of the company's stock worth $29,973,000 after buying an additional 46,420 shares in the last quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the second quarter worth about $3,844,000. Creative Planning grew its position in Marriott International by 19.0% during the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 93,482 shares of the company's stock worth $22,601,000 after buying an additional 14,897 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in Marriott International by 7.8% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 14,139 shares of the company's stock worth $3,418,000 after buying an additional 1,028 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAR has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Marriott International from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of Marriott International from $254.00 to $277.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, Macquarie restated a "neutral" rating and set a $245.00 price target on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $272.15.

Marriott International Stock Up 0.2 %

MAR stock traded up $0.59 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $288.64. The company had a trading volume of 1,403,420 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,471,065. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $282.37 and a 200-day moving average price of $257.90. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $204.55 and a 12 month high of $295.45. The stock has a market cap of $80.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.19, a PEG ratio of 4.64 and a beta of 1.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.31 by ($0.05). Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.27 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.11 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.25 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total value of $485,300.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 23,077 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,560,791.10. The trade was a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 2,360 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $285.41, for a total transaction of $673,567.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 39,726 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,338,197.66. This trade represents a 5.61 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 13,815 shares of company stock valued at $3,919,739. Company insiders own 12.32% of the company's stock.

Marriott International Company 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.