Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) EVP Sells $270,210.00 in Stock

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.21, for a total transaction of $270,210.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,724 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,599,832.04. This trade represents a 4.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Marriott International stock opened at $273.23 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $239.16 and its 200-day moving average price is $266.73. The stock has a market cap of $74.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.39. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $204.55 and a fifty-two week high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.25 by $0.07. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.46% and a negative return on equity of 116.67%. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.19 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.13 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.98%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 23rd. This is a positive change from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.52%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on MAR shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $245.00 price objective (down previously from $313.00) on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Marriott International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $226.00 to $303.00 in a research report on Monday, May 12th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Susquehanna increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $276.60.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marriott International

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,236,478 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,820,329,000 after purchasing an additional 184,387 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 6,973,897 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,945,299,000 after purchasing an additional 56,978 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 16.4% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,427,410 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,292,809,000 after purchasing an additional 766,309 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,026,529 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,398,321,000 after purchasing an additional 60,458 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 4,720,306 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,316,682,000 after purchasing an additional 15,923 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.70% 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.