8,967 Shares in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Acquired by Howard Capital Management Inc.

Howard Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 8,967 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,022,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Caprock Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 255.1% in the fourth quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 11,781 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,657,000 after buying an additional 8,463 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Marriott International by 1,487.6% during the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 345,246 shares of the company's stock worth $77,856,000 after purchasing an additional 323,500 shares in the last quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc boosted its position in Marriott International by 88.4% during the fourth quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 10,426 shares of the company's stock worth $2,351,000 after purchasing an additional 4,892 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its position in Marriott International by 245.9% during the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 164,045 shares of the company's stock worth $36,904,000 after purchasing an additional 116,615 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale boosted its position in Marriott International by 16.7% during the fourth quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 80,128 shares of the company's stock worth $17,872,000 after purchasing an additional 11,477 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have commented on MAR. Mizuho initiated coverage on Marriott International in a research report on Tuesday, March 26th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $263.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Marriott International from $234.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, March 18th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Marriott International from $250.00 to $248.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 14th. Argus boosted their price target on Marriott International from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 19th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Marriott International from $205.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 2nd. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marriott International presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $236.81.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other news, Director Eric Hippeau sold 1,400 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $251.19, for a total value of $351,666.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 72 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,085.68. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, insider Deborah Marriott Harrison sold 37,300 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.46, for a total value of $9,006,458.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 9,100 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,197,286. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Eric Hippeau sold 1,400 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $251.19, for a total value of $351,666.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 72 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,085.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 125,003 shares of company stock worth $30,435,493 in the last 90 days. 12.32% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of MAR stock traded down $7.49 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $251.06. The company had a trading volume of 1,931,880 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,368,356. Marriott International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $161.71 and a twelve month high of $260.57. The company has a market capitalization of $72.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.62. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $248.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $224.25.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $3.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.12 by $1.45. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 848.49% and a net margin of 13.00%. The business had revenue of $6.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.96 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 21st. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.83%. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.41%.

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, and City Express by Marriott brand names, as well as operates residences, timeshares, and yachts.