Short Interest in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Increases By 21.2%

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 4,970,000 shares, a growth of 21.2% from the February 13th total of 4,100,000 shares. Approximately 2.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,510,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.3 days.

Marriott International Price Performance

NASDAQ MAR traded down $7.72 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $240.39. 1,253,572 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,417,409. Marriott International has a 52-week low of $204.55 and a 52-week high of $307.52. The company has a market capitalization of $66.27 billion, a PE ratio of 28.89, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.58. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $277.29 and its 200-day moving average is $270.12.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 research analysts predict that Marriott International will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 27th will be paid a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 27th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.05%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.29%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MAR has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Marriott International from $289.00 to $298.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Mizuho increased their price target on Marriott International from $246.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Marriott International from $294.00 to $301.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Marriott International from $285.00 to $277.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Argus increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $286.45.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In related news, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $286.65, for a total value of $1,003,275.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 24,733 shares in the company, valued at $7,089,714.45. This represents a 12.40 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider William P. Brown sold 12,642 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $285.63, for a total value of $3,610,934.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 30,919 shares in the company, valued at $8,831,393.97. This trade represents a 29.02 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 31,694 shares of company stock worth $8,938,132 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Marriott International

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. FMR LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 6,973,897 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,945,299,000 after buying an additional 56,978 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,026,529 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,398,321,000 after buying an additional 60,458 shares during the period. Capital International Investors lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 4,720,306 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,316,682,000 after acquiring an additional 15,923 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 50.8% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,661,101 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,300,168,000 after acquiring an additional 1,570,144 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 17.4% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,469,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $967,662,000 after acquiring an additional 512,963 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.