Allstate Corp Acquires Shares of 7,088 Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Allstate Corp bought a new position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 7,088 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,977,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 112.2% in the fourth quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its position in Marriott International by 494.4% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 107 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Heck Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at $38,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MAR has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $280.00 to $314.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Marriott International from $289.00 to $298.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Susquehanna increased their target price on Marriott International from $255.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $294.00 to $301.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $286.05.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR stock opened at $237.01 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $272.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $270.62. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $204.55 and a 12 month high of $307.52. The company has a market capitalization of $65.34 billion, a PE ratio of 28.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.58.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 EPS 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%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $278.07, for a total value of $4,031,458.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 14,282 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,971,395.74. The trade was a 50.38 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,500 shares of the 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 sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,733 shares in the company, valued at $7,089,714.45. This represents a 12.40 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 31,694 shares of company stock worth $8,938,132. 12.32% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.