Norris Perne & French LLP MI Trims Stock Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Norris Perne & French LLP MI cut its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 5.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 814 shares of the company’s stock after selling 50 shares during the period. Norris Perne & French LLP MI’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $227,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its position in Marriott International by 494.4% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 107 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. Silvant Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Marriott International during the third quarter worth about $33,000. ORG Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 158.5% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 137 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. acquired a new position in Marriott International in the third quarter valued at $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on MAR. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $249.00 to $286.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Bank of America boosted their price target on Marriott International from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $295.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. TD Cowen dropped their price target on Marriott International from $295.00 to $283.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price target on Marriott International from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $272.15.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of MAR opened at $292.54 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $204.55 and a 52 week high of $295.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $81.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.60, a PEG ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.57. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $282.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $258.45.

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

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 21st were given a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 21st. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.86%. Marriott International’s payout ratio is 26.36%.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other news, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total value of $485,300.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 23,077 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,560,791.10. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 8,332 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.49, for a total transaction of $2,370,370.68. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 108,361 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,827,620.89. This represents a 7.14 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 13,815 shares of company stock valued at $3,919,739 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 12.32% 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.