Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Shares Bought by Empirical Finance LLC

Empirical Finance LLC lifted its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 8,823 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Empirical Finance LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $2,193,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bangor Savings Bank increased its stake in Marriott International by 131.1% during the 2nd quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position 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 position in shares of Marriott International during the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In related news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.49, for a total value of $137,245.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,286 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,372,384.14. This trade represents a 3.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CAO Felitia Lee sold 916 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.48, for a total value of $253,255.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,609 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,550,776.32. This trade represents a 14.04 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 12,108 shares of company stock worth $3,434,439 in the last three months. Company insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MAR opened at $278.78 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $200.94 and a 12 month high of $289.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $77.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.63 and a beta of 1.58. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $256.59 and its 200-day simple moving average is $241.73.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced 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 business had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.27 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. The business’s revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.11 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on MAR. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $238.00 to $261.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target 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. Macquarie reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $245.00 price objective on shares of Marriott International in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their price objective on Marriott International from $295.00 to $283.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $259.00.

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.