Insider Selling: Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) EVP Sells 4,969 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Marriott EVP Rena Reiss sold 4,969 shares at an average price of $423.32, worth about $2.10 million. She retained 38,953 shares after the sale, an 11.31% reduction in her position.
• Marriott beat quarterly estimates, reporting EPS of $3.02 versus $2.84 expected and revenue of $7 billion; revenue rose 8% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, equivalent to an annualized yield of about 0.7%. Analysts’ consensus rating was “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $394.48.

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) EVP Rena Reiss sold 4,969 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $423.32, for a total transaction of $2,103,477.08. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 38,953 shares in the company, valued at $16,489,583.96. This represents a 11.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Marriott International Stock Up 0.2%

MAR traded up $0.98 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $418.26. 572,538 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,565,651. The company's fifty day moving average price is $365.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $357.63. The stock has a market capitalization of $107.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.71, a P/E/G ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 1.15. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $280.99 and a 52-week high of $433.30.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 2nd. The company reported $3.02 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $7 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.93 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 69.94% and a net margin of 9.68%. Marriott International's revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.47 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 12.10 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.14%.

Key Marriott International News

Here are the key news stories impacting Marriott International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Marriott declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.73 per share, payable December 31 to shareholders of record November 19. The annualized dividend is $2.92, a yield of about 0.7%; the payout may support investor interest, though the yield is modest. Marriott International Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Recent Zacks articles characterized MAR as a strong momentum and growth stock. This may reinforce favorable investor sentiment, although the headlines provide no new company results or specific rating data. Zacks momentum article Zacks growth article
• Neutral Sentiment: Marriott is expanding its Luxury Collection into Laos with a new property. The debut adds to the company’s international presence, but the report provides no details on expected financial contribution. Marriott debuts in Laos with new Luxury Collection property
• Negative Sentiment: Freedom Broker cut its rating on Marriott from “strong buy” to “hold,” a less favorable analyst view that could temper optimism. Freedom Broker rating

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Guidance Capital Inc. grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 3.9% during the third quarter. Guidance Capital Inc. now owns 674 shares of the company's stock worth $240,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Kintegral Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Kintegral Advisory LLC now owns 4,731 shares of the company's stock worth $1,683,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Marriott International by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 5,366 shares of the company's stock worth $1,909,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. World Equity Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 2.0% in the 2nd quarter. World Equity Group Inc. now owns 1,437 shares of the company's stock valued at $533,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Founders Financial Securities LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC now owns 3,493 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,242,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on MAR shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Marriott International from $426.00 to $463.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Marriott International from $384.00 to $403.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on Marriott International from $379.00 to $372.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Marriott International from $406.00 to $456.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marriott International presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $394.48.

Marriott International Company Profile

Marriott International is a global lodging company that manages, franchises, and licenses hotels, resorts, and other accommodations. Its portfolio spans luxury, premium, select-service, and extended-stay brands, including The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels, Marriott, Sheraton, Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Moxy.

The company traces its origins to a root beer stand opened by J. Willard and Alice Marriott in Washington, DC, in 1927. It entered the lodging business in the 1950s and is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.

Marriott serves travelers in countries and territories around the world and offers the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program.

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