Insider Selling: Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) EVP Sells 4,969 Shares of Stock

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) EVP Rena Reiss sold 4,969 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $423.32, for a total value of $2,103,477.08. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 38,953 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,489,583.96. The trade was a 11.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Marriott International Trading Up 0.2%

MAR stock traded up $0.98 on Friday, hitting $418.26. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 572,538 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,565,651. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $365.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $357.63. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $280.99 and a 1 year high of $433.30. The stock has a market cap of $107.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 1.15.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 2nd. The company reported $3.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.84 by $0.18. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 69.94% and a net margin of 9.68%. The company had revenue of $7 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.93 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.47 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 12.10 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.14%.

Marriott International News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Marriott International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Marriott declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.73 per share, payable December 31 to shareholders of record November 19. The annualized dividend is $2.92, a yield of about 0.7%; the payout may support investor interest, though the yield is modest. Marriott International Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Recent Zacks articles characterized MAR as a strong momentum and growth stock. This may reinforce favorable investor sentiment, although the headlines provide no new company results or specific rating data. Zacks momentum article Zacks growth article
• Neutral Sentiment: Marriott is expanding its Luxury Collection into Laos with a new property. The debut adds to the company’s international presence, but the report provides no details on expected financial contribution. Marriott debuts in Laos with new Luxury Collection property
• Negative Sentiment: Freedom Broker cut its rating on Marriott from “strong buy” to “hold,” a less favorable analyst view that could temper optimism. Freedom Broker rating

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAR has been the subject of several research analyst reports. China Intl Cap raised Marriott International to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. UBS Group cut their price target on Marriott International from $412.00 to $395.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Erste Group Bank began coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $410.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $379.00 to $372.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Marriott International has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $394.48.

Institutional Trading of Marriott International

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in MAR. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 9.4% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 240,251 shares of the company’s stock valued at $85,475,000 after purchasing an additional 20,628 shares in the last quarter. Werba Rubin Papier Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 4.3% during the third quarter. Werba Rubin Papier Wealth Management now owns 679 shares of the company’s stock worth $242,000 after buying an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Terril Brothers Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the third quarter worth about $317,000. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 13.6% in the third quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 13,339 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,744,000 after buying an additional 1,592 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 1.1% in the third quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 4,479 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,593,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

About Marriott International

Marriott International is a global lodging company that manages, franchises, and licenses hotels, resorts, and other accommodations. Its portfolio spans luxury, premium, select-service, and extended-stay brands, including The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels, Marriott, Sheraton, Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Moxy.

The company traces its origins to a root beer stand opened by J. Willard and Alice Marriott in Washington, DC, in 1927. It entered the lodging business in the 1950s and is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.

Marriott serves travelers in countries and territories around the world and offers the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program.