Sanctuary Advisors LLC Cuts Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Sanctuary Advisors LLC lessened its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 6.0% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 34,074 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,177 shares during the quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $9,968,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in MAR. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in Marriott International by 4.8% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,024,187 shares of the company’s stock valued at $254,613,000 after acquiring an additional 46,563 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service increased its holdings in Marriott International by 11.6% during the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 719,613 shares of the company’s stock valued at $178,896,000 after acquiring an additional 74,832 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its holdings in Marriott International by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 613,052 shares of the company’s stock valued at $152,399,000 after acquiring an additional 47,551 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its holdings in Marriott International by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 566,548 shares of the company’s stock valued at $140,844,000 after acquiring an additional 2,723 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in Marriott International by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 443,103 shares of the company’s stock valued at $110,156,000 after acquiring an additional 12,702 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Stock Up 1.7 %

Shares of MAR stock opened at $288.42 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $80.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.88 and a beta of 1.57. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $204.55 and a fifty-two week high of $307.52. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $284.05 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $263.44.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a net margin of 11.18% and a negative return on equity of 177.91%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 27th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.87%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.36%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on MAR shares. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $277.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Marriott International from $280.00 to $314.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $287.00 to $283.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Susquehanna raised their price target on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $284.05.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total value of $485,300.10. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 23,077 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,560,791.10. The trade was a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

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.