Apella Capital LLC Increases Stock Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Apella Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 131.8% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 2,100 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,194 shares during the period. Apella Capital LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $586,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in Marriott International by 10.8% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 379 shares of the company’s stock worth $94,000 after buying an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Marriott International by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 8,698 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,162,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Haverford Trust Co raised its stake in Marriott International by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Haverford Trust Co now owns 4,207 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,046,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Marriott International by 2.6% in the third quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,010 shares of the company’s stock worth $500,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Finally, Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton increased its stake in shares of Marriott International by 3.7% in the third quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 1,443 shares of the company’s stock worth $359,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marriott International Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MAR opened at $276.05 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $76.71 billion, a PE ratio of 28.88, a PEG ratio of 5.47 and a beta of 1.57. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $282.64 and its 200 day moving average is $255.36. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $204.55 and a fifty-two week high of $295.45.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.31 by ($0.05). Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. The firm had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.27 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.11 EPS. Marriott International’s revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 21st were paid a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.91%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.36%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently weighed in on MAR. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $249.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. TD Cowen cut their target price on Marriott International from $295.00 to $283.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Marriott International from $251.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $252.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $269.65.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other news, CAO Felitia Lee sold 916 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.48, for a total transaction of $253,255.68. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,609 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,550,776.32. This trade represents a 14.04 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.49, for a total value of $137,245.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,286 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,372,384.14. This trade represents a 3.91 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 13,815 shares of company stock valued at $3,919,739 in the last quarter. 12.32% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Marriott International 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.