Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Shares Acquired by New Age Alpha Advisors LLC

Key Points

• New Age Alpha Advisors LLC significantly increased its stake in Marriott International by 22,574.3%, owning 15,872 shares worth approximately $3.78 million after purchasing an additional 15,802 shares.
• Insiders at Marriott have sold a total of 15,500 shares in the last three months, with notable sales including Rajeev Menon selling 2,500 shares for $670,700.
• Marriott announced a quarterly dividend increase to $0.67 per share, up from the previous $0.63, reflecting a dividend yield of 1.0% and a payout ratio of 30.52%.

New Age Alpha Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 22,574.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 15,872 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 15,802 shares during the quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC's holdings in Marriott International were worth $3,781,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MAR. 4J Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 3.6% in the 1st quarter. 4J Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,224 shares of the company's stock worth $292,000 after buying an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions LLC grew its position in Marriott International by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions LLC now owns 2,019 shares of the company's stock worth $587,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 6.6% in the 1st quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 758 shares of the company's stock valued at $180,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 46.7% in the 1st quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 157 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Finally, Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton raised its holdings in Marriott International by 3.4% during the 1st quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 1,529 shares of the company's stock valued at $364,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Marriott International Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ MAR traded down $2.12 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $260.59. 1,695,849 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,531,594. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $205.40 and a 1 year high of $307.52. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $268.85 and a 200 day moving average of $261.73. The stock has a market cap of $70.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.44.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $2.65. The business had revenue of $6.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.66 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.60% and a negative return on equity of 93.44%. The company's revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.50 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.21%.

Marriott International announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Thursday, August 7th that permits the company to buyback 25,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on MAR. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. Melius Research upgraded Marriott International to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Barclays reduced their price target on Marriott International from $283.00 to $236.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Marriott International in a research report on Monday, June 23rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $284.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Dbs Bank upgraded Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Twelve 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. According to MarketBeat, Marriott International has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $280.89.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,724 shares in the company, valued at $5,599,832.04. This trade represents a 4.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 124,067 shares in the company, valued at $32,741,281.30. The trade was a 8.82% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,107,710 in the last ninety days. 10.68% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.