Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Stock Holdings Lessened by Keystone Financial Group

Keystone Financial Group cut its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 12.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,273 shares of the company’s stock after selling 173 shares during the quarter. Keystone Financial Group’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $355,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of MAR. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Marriott International in the 4th quarter worth about $580,922,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 50.8% in the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $165,162,000. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 512,963 shares during the period. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Marriott International by 36,564.5% during the 4th quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 360,779 shares of the company’s stock worth $100,636,000 after purchasing an additional 359,795 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR opened at $223.49 on Tuesday. Marriott International, Inc. has a one year low of $204.55 and a one year high of $307.52. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $256.42 and its 200 day moving average price is $269.28. The company has a market capitalization of $61.67 billion, a PE ratio of 26.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.42.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 116.67% and a net margin of 9.46%. Analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 27th were issued a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.13%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 27th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.29%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MAR has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price 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. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on Marriott International from $295.00 to $226.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of Marriott International from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $246.00 to $293.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $287.00 to $283.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marriott International has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $279.15.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In other news, insider William P. Brown sold 12,642 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The stock was 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $278.07, for a total value of $4,031,458.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 14,282 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,971,395.74. This trade represents a 50.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 31,694 shares of company stock worth $8,938,132. 12.32% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.