Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Stock Holdings Raised by Pacer Advisors Inc.

Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 31.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 40,821 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 9,703 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $11,387,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jensen Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $793,000. BayBridge Capital Group LLC acquired a new position in Marriott International in the third quarter worth $1,254,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its stake in Marriott International by 0.5% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 566,548 shares of the company’s stock valued at $140,844,000 after purchasing an additional 2,723 shares during the last quarter. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas bought a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 3rd quarter worth about $2,721,000. Finally, Kinsale Capital Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $3,769,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Marriott International Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of Marriott International stock opened at $288.64 on Wednesday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $204.55 and a 52 week high of $295.45. The stock has a market cap of $80.21 billion, a PE ratio of 30.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.64 and a beta of 1.57. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $282.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $257.90.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.31 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.27 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 11.18% and a negative return on equity of 177.91%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.11 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 21st were given a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.36%.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In related news, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total value of $485,300.10. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 23,077 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,560,791.10. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 8,332 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.49, for a total transaction of $2,370,370.68. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 108,361 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,827,620.89. The trade was a 7.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 13,815 shares of company stock worth $3,919,739 in the last quarter. 12.32% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on MAR shares. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $280.00 to $314.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Argus boosted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marriott International has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $272.15.

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.