LifeWealth Investments LLC Increases Stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

LifeWealth Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 64.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,115 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 2,801 shares during the quarter. LifeWealth Investments LLC's holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,695,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of MAR. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Marriott International by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,887 shares of the company's stock worth $2,479,000 after buying an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 31.5% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,776 shares of the company's stock worth $495,000 after acquiring an additional 425 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 38.2% in the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 3,109 shares of the company's stock valued at $872,000 after purchasing an additional 859 shares during the period. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. increased its position in Marriott International by 59.3% during the fourth quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 4,256 shares of the company's stock worth $1,187,000 after purchasing an additional 1,585 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Monument Capital Management raised its stake in Marriott International by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Monument Capital Management now owns 853 shares of the company's stock worth $238,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the period. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MAR has been the subject of several analyst reports. Melius Research raised shares of Marriott International to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $226.00 to $303.00 in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Marriott International from $295.00 to $240.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Truist Financial decreased their price target on Marriott International from $300.00 to $273.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 30th. Finally, Dbs Bank raised Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Thirteen 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $275.15.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.90, for a total transaction of $3,166,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 124,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $32,741,281.30. This represents a 8.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.21, for a total value of $270,210.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,724 shares in the company, valued at $5,599,832.04. This trade represents a 4.60% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 10.68% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Marriott International Stock Down 0.7%

Marriott International stock opened at $256.20 on Wednesday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $204.55 and a 52-week high of $307.52. The firm has a market cap of $70.17 billion, a PE ratio of 29.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 1.42. The company's 50 day moving average is $251.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $264.28.

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

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.05%. This is a positive change from Marriott International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio is presently 30.52%.

Marriott International Company 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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