The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Lowers Stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lessened its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 1.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 141,528 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,605 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned about 0.05% of Marriott International worth $39,478,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $580,922,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in Marriott International by 50.8% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,661,101 shares of the company's stock worth $1,300,168,000 after acquiring an additional 1,570,144 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter valued at $165,162,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its position 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 purchasing an additional 512,963 shares during the period. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in Marriott International by 36,564.5% during the fourth quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 360,779 shares of the company's stock worth $100,636,000 after purchasing an additional 359,795 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, Director Susan C. Schwab sold 1,054 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $277.48, for a total value of $292,463.92. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 4,551 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,262,811.48. The trade was a 18.80 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.07, for a total value of $4,031,458.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 14,282 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,971,395.74. This represents a 50.38 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 31,694 shares of company stock worth $8,938,132. 10.68% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Marriott International Trading Up 2.2 %

NASDAQ MAR traded up $5.48 on Tuesday, hitting $252.75. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,011,785 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,585,162. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $239.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $266.61. 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 $69.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.35, 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 for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.28 by $0.04. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.46% and a negative return on equity of 116.67%. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.13 EPS. Marriott International's revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 27th were given a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 27th. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.29%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Marriott International from $275.00 to $267.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Evercore ISI raised shares of Marriott International from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $245.00 price objective (down previously from $313.00) on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $277.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $294.00 to $301.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $273.10.

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.