Calamos Wealth Management LLC Sells 2,075 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Calamos Wealth Management LLC lessened its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 44.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,557 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,075 shares during the quarter. Calamos Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $713,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MAR. PointState Capital LP purchased a new position in Marriott International during the third quarter valued at $98,249,000. Canoe Financial LP purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $77,331,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 15,148.3% during the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 302,527 shares of the company’s stock valued at $75,208,000 after acquiring an additional 300,543 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its stake in Marriott International by 341.6% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 381,226 shares of the company’s stock worth $106,339,000 after acquiring an additional 294,898 shares during the period. Finally, Mizuho Securities USA LLC lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 629.7% during the third quarter. Mizuho Securities USA LLC now owns 134,973 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,554,000 after purchasing an additional 116,477 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MAR opened at $290.75 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $283.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $259.42. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $204.55 and a 1 year high of $295.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $80.80 billion, a PE ratio of 30.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.68 and a beta of 1.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.31 by ($0.05). Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.27 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.11 earnings per share. Marriott International’s revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced 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. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.36%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on MAR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research 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. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Marriott International from $280.00 to $314.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $276.35.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was 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 trade represents a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Felitia Lee sold 916 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.48, for a total value of $253,255.68. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,609 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,550,776.32. The trade was a 14.04 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 13,315 shares of company stock worth $3,782,494. 10.07% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.