South Plains Financial Inc. Makes New $884,000 Investment in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

South Plains Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 3,170 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $884,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Invst LLC boosted its position in shares of Marriott International by 3.1% in the third quarter. Invst LLC now owns 8,258 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,053,000 after acquiring an additional 252 shares during the period. Diamant Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at $373,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,260,000. Optimist Retirement Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 7.7% in the third quarter. Optimist Retirement Group LLC now owns 894 shares of the company's stock worth $222,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC boosted its stake in Marriott International by 86.8% during the third quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 16,375 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,071,000 after buying an additional 7,607 shares during the period. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

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

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MAR traded up $5.52 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $249.47. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,301,990 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,585,998. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $240.20 and a 200-day simple moving average of $266.72. The stock has a market cap of $68.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.98, a P/E/G ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.42. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $204.55 and a 12 month high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 116.67% and a net margin of 9.46%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 27th were issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 27th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.01%. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.29%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MAR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Evercore ISI upgraded Marriott International from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $277.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Argus increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $245.00 price objective (down from $313.00) on shares of Marriott International in a report on Monday, April 14th. Finally, Susquehanna increased their target price on Marriott International from $255.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $273.10.

About Marriott International

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.