Hancock Whitney Corp Reduces Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Hancock Whitney Corp decreased its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 52.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,177 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,273 shares during the period. Hancock Whitney Corp’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $293,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Quent Capital LLC grew its holdings in Marriott International by 7.9% during the 1st quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 644 shares of the company’s stock valued at $162,000 after buying an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. bought a new stake in Marriott International during the 1st quarter worth approximately $44,000. LRI Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Marriott International in the 1st quarter worth approximately $128,000. Swedbank AB bought a new position in Marriott International in the 1st quarter valued at $14,872,000. Finally, Atria Investments Inc grew its position in shares of Marriott International by 47.7% during the 1st quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 12,512 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,157,000 after purchasing an additional 4,043 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marriott International Stock Performance

MAR opened at $285.60 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $264.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $244.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $79.37 billion, a PE ratio of 29.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.67 and a beta of 1.58. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $200.94 and a 52-week high of $289.80.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.31 by ($0.05). Marriott International had a net margin of 11.18% and a negative return on equity of 177.91%. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.27 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.11 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 21st will be paid a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 21st. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.88%. Marriott International’s payout ratio is 26.36%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Marriott International in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. They set a “buy” rating and a $267.00 target price for the company. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. TD Cowen dropped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $295.00 to $283.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $222.00 to $216.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Marriott International from $252.00 to $283.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $260.20.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total value of $485,300.10. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 23,077 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,560,791.10. The trade was a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 8,332 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.49, for a total value of $2,370,370.68. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 108,361 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $30,827,620.89. This trade represents a 7.14 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 13,815 shares of company stock worth $3,919,739. 10.07% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.