Calamos Advisors LLC Boosts Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Calamos Advisors LLC increased its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 94.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 22,609 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 11,000 shares during the quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC's holdings in Marriott International were worth $5,385,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. D.A. Davidson & CO. raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 11,564 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,755,000 after buying an additional 250 shares during the period. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 3.4% in the first quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 1,529 shares of the company's stock worth $364,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas grew its holdings in Marriott International by 376.7% during the first quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 71,974 shares of the company's stock valued at $17,144,000 after purchasing an additional 56,876 shares during the last quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 10.9% in the first quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 9,207 shares of the company's stock worth $2,193,000 after acquiring an additional 906 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 6.4% during the first quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 34,727 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,272,000 after acquiring an additional 2,087 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MAR has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Mizuho decreased their price objective on Marriott International from $293.00 to $285.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Marriott International from $295.00 to $240.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Marriott International in a report on Monday, June 23rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $284.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Marriott International from $275.00 to $267.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $226.00 to $303.00 in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $275.90.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.21, for a total value of $270,210.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,724 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,599,832.04. This trade represents a 4.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 124,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $32,741,281.30. This represents a 8.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,107,710. Company insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

Marriott International Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of MAR stock traded down $1.25 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $278.72. The company's stock had a trading volume of 462,324 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,590,780. The company has a market cap of $76.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.43 and a beta of 1.41. Marriott International, Inc. has a one year low of $204.55 and a one year high of $307.52. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $264.26 and a 200-day moving average price of $262.58.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.25 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.19 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.75% and a negative return on equity of 100.64%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.13 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd were given a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.96%. This is a positive change from Marriott International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. Marriott International's payout ratio is 30.52%.

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.