Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. Sells 207 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. lessened its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 23.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 674 shares of the company’s stock after selling 207 shares during the period. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $152,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MAR. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in Marriott International by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 13,938 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,450,000 after purchasing an additional 330 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. lifted its stake in Marriott International by 5.8% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 3,444 shares of the company’s stock valued at $605,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. Synovus Financial Corp increased its position in Marriott International by 13.3% in the 1st quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 3,873 shares of the company’s stock valued at $682,000 after acquiring an additional 455 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in Marriott International by 12.1% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 43,563 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,708,000 after acquiring an additional 4,685 shares during the period. Finally, Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. increased its position in Marriott International by 64.9% in the 1st quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 27,406 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,816,000 after acquiring an additional 10,790 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In related news, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,563 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.39, for a total transaction of $856,509.57. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 36,778 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,841,063.42. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, Director Eric Hippeau sold 1,400 shares of the 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,085.68. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,563 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.39, for a total value of $856,509.57. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 36,778 shares in the company, valued at $8,841,063.42. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 125,003 shares of company stock worth $30,435,493 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MAR has been the subject of several recent research reports. Argus upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 19th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $248.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $234.00 to $239.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $210.00 to $259.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, Mizuho started coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Tuesday, March 26th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $263.00 target price on the stock. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marriott International has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $236.81.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MAR opened at $236.30 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $162.77 and a 52-week high of $260.57. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $248.53 and a 200 day moving average of $225.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.28 billion, a PE ratio of 23.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.62.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $3.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.12 by $1.45. Marriott International had a net margin of 13.00% and a negative return on equity of 848.49%. The company had revenue of $6.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.96 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 22nd were given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 21st. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.88%. Marriott International’s payout ratio is 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.