Fifth Third Bancorp Increases Stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Fifth Third Bancorp grew its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 5.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 99,593 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,833 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp's holdings in Marriott International were worth $23,723,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Simon Quick Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 14.1% in the 1st quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC now owns 1,086 shares of the company's stock worth $259,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Focus Financial Network Inc. grew its position in Marriott International by 2.6% in the first quarter. Focus Financial Network Inc. now owns 2,031 shares of the company's stock worth $484,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. InTrack Investment Management Inc increased its stake in Marriott International by 188.1% in the first quarter. InTrack Investment Management Inc now owns 3,244 shares of the company's stock valued at $773,000 after acquiring an additional 2,118 shares during the last quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP raised its position in Marriott International by 23.1% during the first quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 15,069 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,589,000 after purchasing an additional 2,825 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its stake in Marriott International by 2.9% during the first quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 71,937 shares of the company's stock worth $17,135,000 after purchasing an additional 2,054 shares during the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on MAR. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $226.00 to $303.00 in a research report on Monday, May 12th. 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. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $245.00 price objective (down from $313.00) on shares of Marriott International in a report on Monday, April 14th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of 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, Dbs Bank upgraded shares of Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $275.15.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.21, for a total transaction of $270,210.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 20,724 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,599,832.04. This trade represents a 4.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.90, for a total value of $3,166,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 124,067 shares in the company, 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. Insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

MAR traded down $8.24 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $254.99. 1,783,060 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,602,847. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $204.55 and a 52 week high of $307.52. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $248.75 and a two-hundred day moving average of $265.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $69.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.65, a P/E/G ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.42.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.19 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 116.67% and a net margin of 9.46%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.13 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. This is a positive change from Marriott International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.05%. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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.