315,704 Shares in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Acquired by Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 315,704 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $88,062,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned about 0.11% of Marriott International at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,887 shares of the company's stock worth $2,479,000 after buying an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its position in Marriott International by 494.4% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 107 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Patton Albertson Miller Group LLC bought a new stake in Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $219,000. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management raised its position in Marriott International by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 3,290 shares of the company's stock valued at $918,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 24.6% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 6,603 shares of the company's stock worth $1,842,000 after purchasing an additional 1,303 shares during the period. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marriott International Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of MAR traded down $0.12 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $263.49. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,245,300 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,610,110. The company's 50-day moving average is $243.22 and its 200-day moving average is $266.23. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $204.55 and a 52-week high of $307.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $72.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.67, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.39.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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. The business had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.19 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 116.67% and a net margin of 9.46%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.13 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be given a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.02%. This is an increase from Marriott International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. Marriott International's payout ratio is presently 30.52%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marriott International news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,724 shares in the company, 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 can be accessed through the SEC website. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MAR has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of Marriott International from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $277.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on Marriott International from $283.00 to $236.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $275.15.

About Marriott International

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.