KBC Group NV Trims Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

KBC Group NV lessened its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 47,658 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,411 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $11,847,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MAR. Bangor Savings Bank lifted its position in Marriott International by 131.1% during the second quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the second quarter worth about $26,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Silvant Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Marriott International in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Unique Wealth Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in Marriott International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on MAR. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Barclays lifted their price target on Marriott International from $240.00 to $249.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Marriott International from $268.00 to $250.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Macquarie reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $245.00 target price on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $259.00.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of Marriott International stock opened at $278.78 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $256.59 and its 200 day moving average price is $241.73. The company has a market cap of $77.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.16, a PEG ratio of 5.63 and a beta of 1.58. Marriott International, Inc. has a one year low of $200.94 and a one year high of $289.04.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.31 by ($0.05). Marriott International had a net margin of 11.18% and a negative return on equity of 177.91%. The firm had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.27 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.11 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 21st will be issued a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.90%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.36%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marriott International news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.49, for a total value of $137,245.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 12,286 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,372,384.14. The trade was a 3.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 2,360 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.41, for a total value of $673,567.60. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 39,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,338,197.66. This represents a 5.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 12,108 shares of company stock valued at $3,434,439 over the last quarter. 12.32% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.