Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Stake Lowered by Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH

Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH lowered its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 57.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 5,011 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,875 shares during the quarter. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH's holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,360,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc lifted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 112.2% during the 4th quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 104 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.21, for a total transaction of $270,210.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 20,724 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,599,832.04. The trade was 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 available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

NASDAQ:MAR traded down $2.62 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $261.21. The stock had a trading volume of 1,339,464 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,608,828. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $243.51 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $265.86. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $204.55 and a 1-year high of $307.52. The company has a market capitalization of $71.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.39.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last issued 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%. Marriott International's quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.13 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. This is a boost from Marriott International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. Marriott International's payout ratio is 30.52%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Truist Financial cut their target price on Marriott International from $300.00 to $273.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. UBS Group lowered their price target on Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Marriott International from $285.00 to $277.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Marriott International from $295.00 to $240.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, Melius Research upgraded Marriott International to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Thirteen investment 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marriott International presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $275.15.

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.