Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) CFO Kathleen K. Oberg Sells 14,498 Shares

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.07, for a total transaction of $4,031,458.86. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 14,282 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,971,395.74. This represents a 50.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Marriott International Trading Down 0.3 %

Marriott International stock opened at $276.76 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $76.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.26, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.57. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $283.46 and a two-hundred day moving average of $265.88. Marriott International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $204.55 and a twelve month high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 9.46% and a negative return on equity of 116.67%. Equities analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 27th will be given a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 27th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.91%. Marriott International’s payout ratio is currently 30.29%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently commented on MAR. Evercore ISI raised Marriott International from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Susquehanna increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Macquarie restated a “neutral” rating and set a $245.00 price objective on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $284.05.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC now owns 5,554 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,549,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 10.8% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 379 shares of the company’s stock valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. TFG Advisers LLC boosted its holdings in Marriott International by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. TFG Advisers LLC now owns 4,426 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,235,000 after buying an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its position in Marriott International by 0.4% during the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 8,698 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,162,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 3,290 shares of the company’s stock valued at $918,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% 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, City Express by Marriott, and St.