Insider Selling: Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Insider Sells 11,985 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Marriott insider Deborah Harrison sold 11,985 shares for about $5.05 million at an average price of $421.35, reducing her stake by 6.84%; she retained 163,225 shares.
• Marriott’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of $3.02 versus $2.84 expected and revenue of $7 billion, up 8% year over year.
• Analysts’ consensus rating was Moderate Buy, with an average price target of $399.04; the company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share.

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) insider Deborah Harrison sold 11,985 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $421.35, for a total transaction of $5,049,879.75. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 163,225 shares of the company's stock, valued at $68,774,853.75. The trade was a 6.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Deborah Marriott Harrison also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Friday, September 25th, Deborah Harrison sold 3,500 shares of Marriott International stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $352.09, for a total transaction of $1,232,315.00.

Marriott International Trading Down 1.1%

NASDAQ MAR traded down $4.52 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $424.66. 1,335,458 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,571,434. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $280.99 and a 12 month high of $433.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $109.35 billion, a PE ratio of 42.38, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a 50 day moving average of $371.23 and a two-hundred day moving average of $359.71.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The company reported $3.02 earnings per share 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 the consensus estimate of $6.93 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.68% and a negative return on equity of 69.94%. The company's revenue was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.47 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 12.10 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Marriott International's payout ratio is currently 29.14%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on MAR. Freedom Broker cut Marriott International from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 3rd. Deutsche Bank decreased their target price on Marriott International from $379.00 to $372.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $402.00 price target on Marriott International in a report on Monday, November 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $445.00 price target on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Wednesday, November 4th. Finally, China Intl Cap upgraded Marriott International to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Marriott International has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $399.04.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marriott International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. AlphaGrep UK Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 2.2% during the third quarter. AlphaGrep UK Ltd now owns 1,564 shares of the company's stock valued at $556,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 5.6% during the 3rd quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 8,056 shares of the company's stock worth $2,865,000 after purchasing an additional 429 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc. raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 4.6% during the 3rd quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 7,435 shares of the company's stock worth $2,645,000 after purchasing an additional 327 shares during the period. Allianz SE lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 87.8% in the 3rd quarter. Allianz SE now owns 5,634 shares of the company's stock worth $2,004,000 after purchasing an additional 2,634 shares during the last quarter. Finally, E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. boosted its position in Marriott International by 53.3% during the 3rd quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 2,303 shares of the company's stock valued at $819,000 after purchasing an additional 801 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company's stock.

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, D.C., in 1927. It entered the lodging business in the 1950s and is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.