BDF Gestion Sells 1,434 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

BDF Gestion lowered its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 11.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,027 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,434 shares during the quarter. BDF Gestion’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $3,076,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Highland Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Marriott International by 1,948.4% during the 4th quarter. Highland Capital Management LLC now owns 17,063 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,760,000 after acquiring an additional 16,230 shares during the last quarter. New England Research & Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter worth about $886,000. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 1,935.5% during the fourth quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 631 shares of the company’s stock valued at $176,000 after buying an additional 600 shares during the period. Swedbank AB increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 67,548 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,842,000 after buying an additional 4,162 shares during the period. Finally, Field & Main Bank increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 18.0% in the fourth quarter. Field & Main Bank now owns 2,257 shares of the company’s stock worth $630,000 after purchasing an additional 345 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAR has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Argus increased their price objective on Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Evercore ISI raised their price target on Marriott International from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Marriott International from $254.00 to $277.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” 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. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $272.15.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR stock opened at $289.66 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $282.56 and its 200 day moving average is $258.23. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $204.55 and a 1-year high of $295.45. The company has a market cap of $80.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.30, a PEG ratio of 4.64 and a beta of 1.57.

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

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 21st were paid a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International’s payout ratio is 26.36%.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of the firm’s 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 sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,286 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,372,384.14. This trade represents a 3.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, 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 value of $253,255.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,609 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,550,776.32. The trade was a 14.04 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 13,815 shares of company stock worth $3,919,739. 12.32% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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, City Express by Marriott, and St.