WBI Investments LLC Buys New Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

WBI Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 8,663 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,416,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Marriott International in the fourth quarter valued at $580,922,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of Marriott International by 50.8% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,661,101 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,300,168,000 after buying an additional 1,570,144 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth about $165,162,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 17.4% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,469,070 shares of the company's stock worth $967,662,000 after acquiring an additional 512,963 shares during the period. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC increased its position in Marriott International by 36,564.5% during the 4th quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 360,779 shares of the company's stock valued at $100,636,000 after purchasing an additional 359,795 shares during the period. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on MAR shares. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $226.00 to $303.00 in a research note on Monday, May 12th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Susquehanna upped their target price on Marriott International from $255.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Melius Research upgraded Marriott International to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Marriott International presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $276.50.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MAR remained flat at $260.69 during mid-day trading on Thursday. The company had a trading volume of 1,082,896 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,608,128. The stock has a market cap of $71.40 billion, a PE ratio of 31.33, a P/E/G ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.39. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $240.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $266.84. Marriott International, Inc. has a one year low of $204.55 and a one year high of $307.52.

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

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd will be paid a $0.67 dividend. This is an increase from Marriott International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.03%. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio is presently 30.52%.

Insider Activity

In other Marriott International news, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $286.65, for a total transaction of $1,003,275.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 24,733 shares in the company, valued at $7,089,714.45. This represents a 12.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, 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 transaction 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. The trade was a 4.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 32,694 shares of company stock valued at $9,208,342 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

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.