Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Stock Holdings Increased by Aviva PLC

Aviva PLC lifted its position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR – Get Rating) by 28.9% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 77,534 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 17,375 shares during the quarter. Aviva PLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $19,278,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MAR. Advisors Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 28.2% during the third quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 20,131 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,821,000 after purchasing an additional 4,427 shares during the period. Metis Global Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 37.5% during the fourth quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 5,627 shares of the company’s stock worth $838,000 after purchasing an additional 1,535 shares during the period. Verity & Verity LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth $417,000. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 5,597 shares of the company’s stock worth $833,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. Finally, KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 4.7% during the fourth quarter. KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC now owns 27,980 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,166,000 after purchasing an additional 1,248 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 58.97% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MAR opened at $171.66 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $131.01 and a fifty-two week high of $183.27. The business has a 50-day moving average of $169.19 and a two-hundred day moving average of $165.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $52.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 73.56, a current ratio of 0.47 and a quick ratio of 0.47.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR – Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.23. Marriott International had a return on equity of 272.54% and a net margin of 12.34%. The company had revenue of $5.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.44 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.25 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 33.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 8.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 26th will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.21%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 25th. This is a boost from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. Marriott International’s payout ratio is currently 18.71%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MAR shares. StockNews.com raised Marriott International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Marriott International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $204.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Marriott International from $187.00 to $198.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Marriott International from $195.00 to $197.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group lifted their price target on Marriott International from $185.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $184.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $176.17, for a total transaction of $1,057,020.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 12,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,114,040. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Marriott International news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 6,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $176.17, for a total value of $1,057,020.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 12,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,114,040. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 625 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $163.06, for a total value of $101,912.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 9,079 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,480,421.74. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 23,484 shares of company stock valued at $4,131,974. Insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

About Marriott International

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Marriott International, Inc engages in the operation and franchise of hotel, residential, and timeshare properties. It operates through the following geography segments: U.S. & Canada, Asia Pacific, and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). The company was founded by J. Willard Marriott and Alice Sheets Marriott in 1927 and is headquartered in Bethesda, MD.