Impax Asset Management Group plc Acquires 2,181 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Impax Asset Management Group plc raised its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 8.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 28,768 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,181 shares during the quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc's holdings in Marriott International were worth $6,853,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MAR. Straightline Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $495,000. Markel Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 30.6% during the 4th quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 47,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $13,110,000 after acquiring an additional 11,000 shares during the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter valued at $463,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 11.9% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 13,441 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,202,000 after acquiring an additional 1,432 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Haven Capital Group Inc. bought a new stake in Marriott International in the fourth quarter valued at about $3,004,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In related news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.28, for a total transaction of $670,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly 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 position. 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 ninety days. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on MAR shares. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Marriott International from $283.00 to $236.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $293.00 to $285.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $275.90.

Marriott International Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:MAR traded up $2.56 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $280.08. 623,225 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,594,533. The company has a market cap of $76.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.90, a P/E/G ratio of 3.45 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 stock's 50 day simple moving average is $262.62 and its 200-day simple moving average is $262.61.

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

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd were issued a $0.67 dividend. This is a boost from Marriott International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.96%. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 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.