Allianz SE Takes Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Allianz SE bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 3,720 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,043,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. TFG Advisers LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. TFG Advisers LLC now owns 4,426 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,235,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management increased its stake in Marriott International by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 3,290 shares of the company’s stock worth $918,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Evermay Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Marriott International by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Evermay Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,415 shares of the company’s stock worth $953,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Essex Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in Marriott International by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. now owns 3,004 shares of the company’s stock valued at $838,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Monument Capital Management increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 5.2% in the fourth quarter. Monument Capital Management now owns 853 shares of the company’s stock worth $238,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marriott International Price Performance

Marriott International stock opened at $237.01 on Monday. 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 $272.32 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $270.93. The company has a market capitalization of $65.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.49, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.58.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 27th will be issued a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 27th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.06%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.29%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on MAR shares. Susquehanna raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Marriott International from $280.00 to $314.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Argus increased their price objective on Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $286.05.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marriott International news, insider William P. Brown sold 12,642 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $285.63, for a total value of $3,610,934.46. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 30,919 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,831,393.97. This represents a 29.02 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $286.65, for a total transaction of $1,003,275.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 24,733 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,089,714.45. The trade was a 12.40 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 31,694 shares of company stock valued at $8,938,132 in the last quarter. Insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Company 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.