Commonwealth Equity Services LLC Acquires 1,847 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 1.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 122,506 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,847 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC's holdings in Marriott International were worth $34,172,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of MAR. Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. purchased a new position in Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $19,409,000. Tredje AP fonden purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at $15,537,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its stake in Marriott International by 20.4% in the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 466 shares of the company's stock worth $130,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. grew its stake in Marriott International by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 8,278 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,309,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Essential Planning LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $5,471,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Argus increased their price objective on Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Marriott International from $289.00 to $298.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $252.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased 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. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Marriott International from $287.00 to $283.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Thirteen 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.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $286.45.

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Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR traded up $7.23 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $247.62. The company had a trading volume of 1,373,427 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,417,027. The company's 50-day moving average is $277.29 and its 200-day moving average is $270.12. The company has a market capitalization of $68.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.76, a P/E/G ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.58. Marriott International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $204.55 and a twelve month high of $307.52.

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

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 27th will be issued a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 27th. Marriott International's payout ratio is currently 30.29%.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, insider William P. Brown sold 12,642 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $285.63, for a total value of $3,610,934.46. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 30,919 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,831,393.97. This trade represents a 29.02 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $286.65, for a total value of $1,003,275.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now 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 position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 31,694 shares of company stock valued at $8,938,132 in the last three months. Corporate 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.