Natixis Advisors LLC Raises Stock Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Marriott International by 6.9%, acquiring a total of 315,994 shares valued at approximately $75.27 million.
• In the first quarter, several other institutions also adjusted their stakes, with hedge funds owning about 70.70% of Marriott's stock.
• Marriott announced a quarterly dividend of $0.67, marking an increase from the previous dividend of $0.63, representing an annualized yield of 0.99%.

Natixis Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 6.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 315,994 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 20,521 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.11% of Marriott International worth $75,270,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC now owns 5,554 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,549,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the period. 4J Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 3.6% during the first quarter. 4J Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,224 shares of the company's stock valued at $292,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions LLC now owns 2,019 shares of the company's stock valued at $587,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 46.7% during the first 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, Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 3.4% during the first quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 1,529 shares of the company's stock valued at $364,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on MAR shares. Barclays decreased 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 report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Mizuho lowered their price objective on Marriott International from $293.00 to $285.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Melius Research raised shares of Marriott International to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $245.00 price target (down from $313.00) on shares of Marriott International in a report on Monday, April 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price objective for the company from $226.00 to $303.00 in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $280.11.

Insider Activity

In other Marriott International 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 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 SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the firm's 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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,706 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,530,805.68. This represents a 30.47% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,107,710. Corporate insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

Marriott International Stock Performance

MAR stock traded down $8.48 during trading on Friday, hitting $255.35. 2,496,293 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,288,412. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $204.55 and a 52 week high of $307.52. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $269.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $262.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $69.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.44.

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

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.67 per share. This is a boost from Marriott International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 23rd. 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.