Kathleen K. Oberg Sells 14,498 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Stock

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.07, for a total value of $4,031,458.86. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 14,282 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,971,395.74. This trade represents a 50.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Marriott International Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MAR opened at $277.46 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $76.49 billion, a PE ratio of 33.35, a P/E/G ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.57. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $204.55 and a fifty-two week high of $307.52. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $283.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $266.30.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share (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%. Research analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 27th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.91%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is 30.29%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Jensen Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International during the third quarter valued at about $793,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its holdings in Marriott International by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 566,548 shares of the company’s stock worth $140,844,000 after purchasing an additional 2,723 shares in the last quarter. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the third quarter worth approximately $2,721,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,990,000. Finally, Kinsale Capital Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at $3,769,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Susquehanna upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. UBS Group upped their price target on Marriott International from $294.00 to $301.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Marriott International from $252.00 to $283.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $284.05.

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.