Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Holdings Boosted by KBC Group NV

KBC Group NV grew its position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 5.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 50,339 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 2,681 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV's holdings in Marriott International were worth $14,041,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Jensen Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $793,000. BayBridge Capital Group LLC acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the third quarter worth approximately $1,254,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. grew its stake in Marriott International by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 566,548 shares of the company's stock worth $140,844,000 after acquiring an additional 2,723 shares during the period. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth $2,721,000. Finally, Kinsale Capital Group Inc. acquired a new position in Marriott International in the third quarter valued at $3,769,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on MAR. TD Cowen dropped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $295.00 to $283.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Bank of America boosted their price target on Marriott International from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Macquarie reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $245.00 price target on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised 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. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $272.15.

Marriott International Trading Up 1.4 %

Marriott International stock traded up $4.16 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $293.82. The stock had a trading volume of 447,488 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,407,316. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $282.75 and a 200 day moving average price of $258.45. 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 $81.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.76, a P/E/G ratio of 4.64 and a beta of 1.57.

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

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 21st were given a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.86%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.36%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 8,332 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.49, for a total value of $2,370,370.68. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 108,361 shares in the company, valued at $30,827,620.89. The trade was a 7.14 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total transaction of $485,300.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 23,077 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,560,791.10. This trade represents a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 13,815 shares of company stock valued at $3,919,739. Insiders own 12.32% of the company's stock.

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.