Benchmark Financial Wealth Advisors LLC Cuts Stock Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Benchmark Financial Wealth Advisors LLC reduced its position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 10.3% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 4,993 shares of the company’s stock after selling 576 shares during the quarter. Benchmark Financial Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,393,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. 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 buying an additional 89 shares during the period. Silvant Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. ORG Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 158.5% during the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 137 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Heck Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Marriott International in the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In related news, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 2,360 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $285.41, for a total transaction of $673,567.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 39,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,338,197.66. This trade represents a 5.61 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total transaction of $485,300.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 23,077 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,560,791.10. The trade was a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 12,399 shares of company stock worth $3,529,238 in the last three months. 10.07% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR stock opened at $292.39 on Thursday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $204.55 and a 1-year high of $295.45. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $283.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is $259.75. The firm has a market cap of $81.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.58, a PEG ratio of 4.68 and a beta of 1.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.31 by ($0.05). Marriott International had a net margin of 11.18% and a negative return on equity of 177.91%. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.27 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.11 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on MAR. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $295.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Barclays boosted their target price on Marriott International from $249.00 to $286.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Macquarie reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $245.00 price target on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. 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. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $276.35.

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.