Longbow Finance SA Takes $8.84 Million Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Longbow Finance SA acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 31,690 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,840,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 494.4% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 107 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Silvant Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Heck Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on MAR. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Susquehanna boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $277.00 to $308.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Evercore ISI upgraded shares of Marriott International from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $284.05.

Marriott International Stock Performance

MAR opened at $276.76 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $76.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.26, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.57. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $283.46 and a 200 day moving average of $265.88. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $204.55 and a fifty-two week high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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%. Equities research analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 27th will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 27th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.91%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.29%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $286.65, for a total value of $1,003,275.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,089,714.45. This trade represents a 12.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $4,031,458.86. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 14,282 shares in the company, valued at $3,971,395.74. This represents a 50.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 10.07% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International 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.