Virtu Financial LLC Purchases Shares of 20,718 Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 20,718 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,009,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. BDF Gestion bought a new position in Marriott International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,013,000. Parnassus Investments LLC raised its stake in Marriott International by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC now owns 2,457,382 shares of the company’s stock valued at $554,164,000 after purchasing an additional 7,135 shares during the last quarter. Redwood Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Marriott International by 208.3% in the 4th quarter. Redwood Investment Management LLC now owns 26,927 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,072,000 after purchasing an additional 18,192 shares during the period. CWM LLC grew its position in Marriott International by 518.7% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 47,519 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,489,000 after purchasing an additional 39,839 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stifel Financial Corp raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 124,569 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,092,000 after buying an additional 4,247 shares during the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MAR. Susquehanna began coverage on Marriott International in a research report on Friday, June 21st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $255.00 target price on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Marriott International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $247.00 to $262.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on Marriott International from $252.00 to $245.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Marriott International from $268.00 to $250.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $235.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marriott International has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $246.18.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of MAR opened at $232.46 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $66.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.99, a PEG ratio of 5.34 and a beta of 1.59. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $229.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $237.95. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $180.75 and a 52-week high of $260.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $2.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.49 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $6.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.47 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 12.01% and a negative return on equity of 239.60%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.26 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.08%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 16th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is 26.01%.

Marriott International Company 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.