Handelsbanken Fonder AB Buys 1,330 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 1.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 69,883 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,330 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $19,493,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Ieq Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 18.2% in the fourth quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 17,044 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,754,000 after buying an additional 2,624 shares in the last quarter. Alberta Investment Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth $9,969,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth $835,000. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 15.0% in the fourth quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 7,956 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,219,000 after buying an additional 1,038 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Proactive Wealth Strategies LLC raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. Proactive Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 2,452 shares of the company’s stock worth $684,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MAR opened at $277.47 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $204.55 and a 1 year high of $307.52. The company has a market cap of $76.50 billion, a PE ratio of 33.35, a P/E/G ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.57. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $283.73 and its 200 day moving average is $264.75.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.91%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.29%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on MAR shares. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Marriott International from $252.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Evercore ISI upgraded Marriott International from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. UBS Group raised 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. Finally, Macquarie restated a “neutral” rating and set a $245.00 price target on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $284.05.

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, City Express by Marriott, and St.