9,290 Shares in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Bought by Virtu Financial LLC

Key Points

• Virtu Financial LLC acquired 9,290 shares of Marriott International, valued at approximately $2,213,000, as part of its new position during the first quarter.
• Marriott International plans to pay a quarterly dividend of $0.67 per share on September 30th, representing a 1.0% dividend yield and a payout ratio of 30.21%.
• The company recently announced a share repurchase program, authorizing the buyback of up to 25 million shares, typically indicating management's belief that the stock is undervalued.

Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 9,290 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,213,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAR. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. bought a new stake in Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Morse Asset Management Inc bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 46.7% in the 1st quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 157 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Finally, Heck Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Marriott International Stock Performance

MAR stock opened at $259.92 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $268.78 and a 200-day moving average price of $261.48. The company has a market capitalization of $70.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.30, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.44. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $205.40 and a 52-week high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.65. The firm had revenue of $6.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.66 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.60% and a negative return on equity of 93.44%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.50 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 21st will be given a dividend of $0.67 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 21st. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio is 30.21%.

Marriott International announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, August 7th that authorizes the company to repurchase 25,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on MAR shares. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $280.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Melius Research upgraded shares of Marriott International to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $245.00 price target (down previously from $313.00) on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of Marriott International from $293.00 to $285.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Marriott International from $283.00 to $236.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $280.89.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In other news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.90, for a total transaction of $3,166,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 124,067 shares in the company, valued at $32,741,281.30. This represents a 8.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.28, for a total transaction of $670,700.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 5,706 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,530,805.68. This trade represents a 30.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,107,710 over the last three months. 10.68% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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, City Express by Marriott, and St.

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