Ballast Advisors LLC Grows Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Ballast Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 16.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,206 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 313 shares during the quarter. Ballast Advisors LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $615,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MAR. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 112.2% during the 4th quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its position in shares of Marriott International by 494.4% during the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 107 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 3rd quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on MAR. Argus lifted their price objective on Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $246.00 to $293.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective 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. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $289.00 to $298.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Marriott International from $252.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $286.45.

Insider Activity

In other Marriott International news, Director Susan C. Schwab sold 1,054 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $277.48, for a total value of $292,463.92. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 4,551 shares in the company, valued at $1,262,811.48. This represents a 18.80 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider William P. Brown sold 12,642 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $285.63, for a total transaction of $3,610,934.46. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 30,919 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,831,393.97. The trade was a 29.02 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 31,694 shares of company stock worth $8,938,132 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MAR opened at $244.84 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $67.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.43, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.58. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $204.55 and a 1-year high of $307.52. The business’s 50 day moving average is $276.20 and its two-hundred day moving average is $269.79.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 116.67% and a net margin of 9.46%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 27th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.29%.

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.