Modera Wealth Management LLC Raises Stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Modera Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 3.4% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 4,560 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 152 shares during the period. Modera Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,272,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in Marriott International by 4.8% in the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,024,187 shares of the company’s stock worth $254,613,000 after purchasing an additional 46,563 shares during the last quarter. National Pension Service lifted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 11.6% in the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 719,613 shares of the company’s stock valued at $178,896,000 after acquiring an additional 74,832 shares during the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its holdings in Marriott International by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 613,052 shares of the company’s stock valued at $152,399,000 after acquiring an additional 47,551 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its stake in Marriott International by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 566,548 shares of the company’s stock worth $140,844,000 after purchasing an additional 2,723 shares during the period. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its position in Marriott International by 3.0% in the third quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 443,103 shares of the company’s stock valued at $110,156,000 after purchasing an additional 12,702 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of MAR opened at $277.72 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $283.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $268.04. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $204.55 and a fifty-two week high of $307.52. The stock has a market cap of $76.57 billion, a PE ratio of 33.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.57.

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

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 27th will be paid 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 yield of 0.91%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.29%.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 14,282 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,971,395.74. This represents a 50.38 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Susan C. Schwab sold 1,054 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $277.48, for a total transaction of $292,463.92. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 4,551 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,262,811.48. This represents a 18.80 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 31,694 shares of company stock worth $8,938,132. Corporate insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on MAR shares. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on shares of Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $280.00 to $314.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $294.00 to $301.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Susquehanna boosted their price target on Marriott International from $255.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price objective on Marriott International from $246.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target 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.