Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Inc. Invests $427,000 in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 1,531 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $427,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Silvant Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the third quarter valued at $31,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International in the third quarter worth about $33,000. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International during the second quarter worth approximately $36,000. ORG Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 158.5% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 137 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. bought a new position in Marriott International in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $40,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other Marriott International 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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,609 shares in the company, valued at $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 is available at this hyperlink. 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 transaction, the executive vice president now 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. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 13,815 shares of company stock worth $3,919,739. Insiders own 10.07% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MAR opened at $277.18 on Monday. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $204.55 and a fifty-two week high of $295.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $77.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.99, a PEG ratio of 4.48 and a beta of 1.57. The business has a 50-day moving average of $282.53 and a 200-day moving average of $256.02.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.27 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.11 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.25 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Argus boosted their target price on Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $249.00 to $286.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Macquarie reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $245.00 price objective on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus 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.