Merit Financial Group LLC Decreases Stock Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Merit Financial Group LLC cut its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 2.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,092 shares of the company’s stock after selling 72 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $697,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new stake in Marriott International during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. ORG Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 72.6% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 126 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Keener Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MAR opened at $236.82 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $67.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.44, a P/E/G ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 1.61. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $247.15 and its 200-day simple moving average is $229.16. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $165.13 and a fifty-two week high of $260.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.17 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $5.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.95 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 376.88% and a net margin of 12.00%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.09 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.5 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 22nd were issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 21st. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.88%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.47%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marriott International news, Director Eric Hippeau sold 1,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.19, for a total value of $351,666.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 72 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,085.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, insider Satyajit Anand sold 2,749 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.93, for a total value of $692,555.57. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 24,478 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,166,742.54. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Eric Hippeau sold 1,400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $251.19, for a total value of $351,666.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 72 shares in the company, valued at $18,085.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 125,003 shares of company stock worth $30,435,493 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 10.07% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. UBS Group increased their price target on Marriott International from $210.00 to $259.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $235.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Marriott International from $248.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $248.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $241.33.

Marriott International 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, and City Express by Marriott brand names, as well as operates residences, timeshares, and yachts.