Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Shares Sold by Sarasin & Partners LLP

Sarasin & Partners LLP cut its holdings in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 22.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 12,244 shares of the company's stock after selling 3,611 shares during the period. Sarasin & Partners LLP's holdings in Marriott International were worth $3,415,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MAR. Silvant Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Marriott International during the third quarter valued at $31,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Marriott International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC bought a new stake in Marriott International during the second quarter worth about $36,000. ORG Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Marriott International by 158.5% during the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 137 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Marriott International Stock Performance

NASDAQ MAR traded up $1.18 on Monday, reaching $277.18. 1,800,667 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 994,544. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $204.55 and a 12 month high of $295.45. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $282.53 and a 200-day moving average price of $256.13. The company has a market cap of $77.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.99, a PEG ratio of 4.48 and a beta of 1.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last posted 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). The business had revenue of $6.26 billion for 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 177.91%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.11 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 21st were paid a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.91%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.36%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.49, for a total transaction of $137,245.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 12,286 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,372,384.14. The trade was a 3.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 2,360 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The stock was 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 approximately $11,338,197.66. This represents a 5.61 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 13,815 shares of company stock worth $3,919,739. 10.07% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on MAR. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Barclays increased their price target on Marriott International from $249.00 to $286.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Argus increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $238.00 to $261.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $272.15.

Marriott International 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.