Xponance Inc. Decreases Stock Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Xponance Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 3.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 60,122 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,232 shares during the quarter. Xponance Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $13,558,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Caprock Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 255.1% in the fourth quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 11,781 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,657,000 after purchasing an additional 8,463 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 86.8% in the fourth quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 44,957 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,138,000 after purchasing an additional 20,890 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 88.4% in the fourth quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 10,426 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,351,000 after purchasing an additional 4,892 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 1,487.6% in the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 345,246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $77,856,000 after purchasing an additional 323,500 shares during the period. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 14.7% in the fourth quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 79,403 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,906,000 after purchasing an additional 10,197 shares during the period. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $210.00 to $259.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. Argus upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 19th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $234.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, March 18th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $205.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 2nd. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marriott International currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $236.81.

Marriott International Trading Up 0.9 %

MAR traded up $2.12 on Friday, reaching $238.42. The company had a trading volume of 183,035 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,428,687. The company has a fifty day moving average of $248.53 and a 200-day moving average of $225.12. The company has a market capitalization of $68.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.19, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.62. Marriott International, Inc. has a one year low of $162.77 and a one year high of $260.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $3.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.12 by $1.45. The firm had revenue of $6.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.20 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 13.00% and a negative return on equity of 848.49%. Marriott International’s revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.96 EPS. Research analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.46 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 22nd were given a $0.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 21st. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.87%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.41%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Deborah Marriott Harrison sold 37,300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.46, for a total transaction of $9,006,458.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 9,100 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,197,286. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, insider Deborah Marriott Harrison sold 37,300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.46, for a total transaction of $9,006,458.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 9,100 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,197,286. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Eric Hippeau sold 1,400 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.19, for a total value of $351,666.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 72 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,085.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 125,003 shares of company stock worth $30,435,493. Corporate 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, and City Express by Marriott brand names, as well as operates residences, timeshares, and yachts.