Capital International Investors Buys 149,378 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Capital International Investors grew its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 4.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,296,879 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 149,378 shares during the period. Capital International Investors owned approximately 1.15% of Marriott International worth $831,836,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MAR. Roble Belko & Company Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 845.5% during the 1st quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. bought a new stake in Marriott International during the first quarter worth about $29,000. ORG Partners LLC grew its holdings in Marriott International by 72.6% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 126 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. Keener Financial Planning LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Annapolis Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Marriott International from $235.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 19th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $235.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 2nd. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $248.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. Susquehanna began coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Friday, June 21st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $255.00 price target for the company. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on Marriott International from $240.00 to $251.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $243.59.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of MAR stock traded up $2.85 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $236.60. 929,373 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,445,074. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.58 billion, a PE ratio of 24.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 1.60. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $180.75 and a 12 month high of $260.57. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $238.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $241.75.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.17 by ($0.04). Marriott International had a net margin of 12.00% and a negative return on equity of 376.88%. The company had revenue of $5.98 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.95 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.09 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 24th were given a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.07%. This is an increase from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 23rd. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.01%.

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, and City Express by Marriott brand names, as well as operates residences, timeshares, and yachts.