Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Shares Purchased by Lake Street Advisors Group LLC

Lake Street Advisors Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 6.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,952 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 225 shares during the period. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,102,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Jensen Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $793,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 0.5% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 566,548 shares of the company’s stock valued at $140,844,000 after buying an additional 2,723 shares during the period. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the third quarter worth approximately $2,721,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new position in Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at $2,990,000. Finally, Kinsale Capital Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the third quarter worth $3,769,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marriott International Trading Up 1.7 %

NASDAQ MAR opened at $282.16 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $283.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $266.41. The stock has a market cap of $77.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.91, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.57. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $204.55 and a 52 week 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%. On average, research analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 27th will be given a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 27th. Marriott International’s payout ratio is 30.29%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $286.65, for a total transaction of $1,003,275.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 24,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,089,714.45. This trade represents a 12.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.07, for a total value of $4,031,458.86. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 14,282 shares in the company, valued at $3,971,395.74. The trade was a 50.38 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 31,694 shares of company stock worth $8,938,132. 10.07% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on MAR. Robert W. Baird increased 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. Macquarie reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $245.00 target price on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Barclays cut 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. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on Marriott International from $252.00 to $283.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $284.05.

Marriott International 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.