Ancora Advisors LLC Cuts Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Ancora Advisors LLC lessened its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 1.6% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 97,758 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,584 shares during the period. Ancora Advisors LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $27,269,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 112.2% in the 4th quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 494.4% during the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 107 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Finally, Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marriott International Trading Up 2.3 %

Shares of MAR opened at $249.47 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $204.55 and a 1 year high of $307.52. The stock has a market cap of $68.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.42. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $240.20 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $266.69.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.46% and a negative return on equity of 116.67%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on MAR shares. Melius Research raised shares of Marriott International to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $245.00 price objective (down previously from $313.00) on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Marriott International from $285.00 to $277.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Susquehanna raised 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. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $295.00 to $226.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $273.10.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.07, for a total transaction of $4,031,458.86. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 14,282 shares in the company, valued at $3,971,395.74. This represents a 50.38 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider William P. Brown sold 12,642 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.63, for a total value of $3,610,934.46. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 30,919 shares in the company, valued at $8,831,393.97. This represents a 29.02 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 31,694 shares of company stock valued at $8,938,132 in the last quarter. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by 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.