Nordea Investment Management AB Sells 9,325 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Nordea Investment Management AB lessened its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 11.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 69,674 shares of the company's stock after selling 9,325 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB's holdings in Marriott International were worth $19,511,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 26.4% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,047 shares of the company's stock valued at $850,000 after acquiring an additional 637 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in Marriott International by 80.2% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 638 shares of the company's stock valued at $178,000 after purchasing an additional 284 shares during the last quarter. Old Port Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $220,000. SK Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the third quarter valued at approximately $831,000. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 1.7% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 263,638 shares of the company's stock valued at $65,540,000 after acquiring an additional 4,301 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marriott International Stock Up 1.4 %

NASDAQ:MAR traded up $3.75 on Thursday, reaching $273.53. 1,172,171 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,309,894. The firm has a market cap of $76.01 billion, a PE ratio of 28.61, a P/E/G ratio of 5.47 and a beta of 1.57. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $281.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $254.57. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $204.55 and a 12 month high of $295.45.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.31 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.27 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. Marriott International's quarterly revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.11 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 21st were given a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 21st. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.92%. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.36%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on MAR shares. Truist Financial upped their target price on Marriott International from $254.00 to $277.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on Marriott International from $295.00 to $283.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marriott International currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $269.65.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In related news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 8,332 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 of the company's stock, valued at $30,827,620.89. This represents a 7.14 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the insider now directly owns 23,077 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,560,791.10. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 13,815 shares of company stock worth $3,919,739 in the last three months. 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.