Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Short Interest Update

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,330,000 shares, a drop of 17.2% from the January 15th total of 5,230,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,340,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.2 days. Approximately 1.8% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Marriott International Stock Down 1.6 %

NASDAQ MAR opened at $283.52 on Friday. Marriott International has a 52 week low of $204.55 and a 52 week high of $307.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $78.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.66, a PEG ratio of 4.88 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $284.12 and a 200-day moving average price of $262.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Marriott International will post 9.26 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.89%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 27th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.36%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total value of $485,300.10. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 23,077 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,560,791.10. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marriott International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at about $580,922,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake 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 valued at $1,300,168,000 after acquiring an additional 1,570,144 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at $165,162,000. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 17.4% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,469,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $967,662,000 after purchasing an additional 512,963 shares during the period. Finally, PointState Capital LP purchased a new stake in Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $98,249,000. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have commented on MAR. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Marriott International from $287.00 to $283.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on Marriott International from $280.00 to $314.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. TD Cowen cut their target price on shares of Marriott International from $295.00 to $283.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Evercore ISI raised Marriott International from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Marriott International from $294.00 to $301.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $284.45.

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.