Worth Financial Advisory Group LLC Acquires 1,631 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Worth Financial Advisory Group LLC increased its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 159.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,656 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 1,631 shares during the period. Worth Financial Advisory Group LLC's holdings in Marriott International were worth $633,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of MAR. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 112.2% during the fourth quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 104 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Heck Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth $38,000. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group reduced their price target on Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Jefferies Financial Group raised Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their target price for the company from $226.00 to $303.00 in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Dbs Bank raised Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Melius Research raised Marriott International to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $275.15.

Marriott International Stock Up 1.0%

MAR stock opened at $260.19 on Friday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $252.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is $263.87. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $204.55 and a 52-week high of $307.52. The firm has a market cap of $71.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.63, a PEG ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 1.42.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.25 by $0.07. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.75% and a negative return on equity of 100.64%. The business had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.13 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In related news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.90, for a total value of $3,166,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 124,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $32,741,281.30. This trade represents a 8.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.21, for a total transaction of $270,210.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,724 shares in the company, valued at $5,599,832.04. This represents a 4.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by corporate 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.

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