Short Interest in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Increases By 21.2%

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 4,970,000 shares, a growth of 21.2% from the February 13th total of 4,100,000 shares. Currently, 2.1% of the company's stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 1,510,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.3 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on MAR. 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 report on Wednesday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $277.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $280.00 to $314.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $308.00 to $300.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $286.05.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marriott International news, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.07, for a total value of $4,031,458.86. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 14,282 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,971,395.74. The trade was a 50.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Susan C. Schwab sold 1,054 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $277.48, for a total transaction of $292,463.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 4,551 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,262,811.48. This represents a 18.80 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 31,694 shares of company stock worth $8,938,132 in the last ninety days. 12.32% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MAR. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 112.2% in the fourth quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 104 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 494.4% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 107 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the third quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Marriott International Stock Down 3.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ:MAR traded down $7.35 during trading on Friday, reaching $237.49. The stock had a trading volume of 4,300,925 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,423,562. Marriott International has a fifty-two week low of $204.55 and a fifty-two week high of $307.52. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $275.53 and a 200-day moving average price of $269.81. The stock has a market cap of $65.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.54, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.58.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 forecast that Marriott International will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 27th will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.06%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 27th. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.29%.

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.