Alberta Investment Management Corp Purchases New Stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Alberta Investment Management Corp purchased a new stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 35,740 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,969,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MAR. Jensen Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the third quarter worth $793,000. BayBridge Capital Group LLC acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the third quarter worth $1,254,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its stake in Marriott International by 0.5% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 566,548 shares of the company’s stock worth $140,844,000 after acquiring an additional 2,723 shares during the last quarter. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the third quarter worth $2,721,000. Finally, Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth $2,990,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MAR has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Evercore ISI raised Marriott International from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. 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. Barclays dropped their price objective on Marriott International from $287.00 to $283.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Marriott International from $294.00 to $301.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $284.05.

Marriott International Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of MAR stock opened at $287.56 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $283.98 and its 200 day moving average price is $264.13. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $204.55 and a 52-week high of $307.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $79.28 billion, a PE ratio of 34.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.38 and a beta of 1.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released 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 negative return on equity of 116.67% and a net margin of 9.46%. Analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

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. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.88%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 27th. Marriott International’s payout ratio is 30.29%.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In other news, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total transaction of $485,300.10. Following the sale, the insider now owns 23,077 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,560,791.10. The trade was a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate 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.