Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Stock Holdings Increased by First Trust Direct Indexing L.P.

First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 13.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,038 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 481 shares during the period. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $911,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Summit Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Summit Financial LLC now owns 9,981 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,251,000 after acquiring an additional 231 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 222,224 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,114,000 after purchasing an additional 3,721 shares in the last quarter. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 8,229 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,856,000 after buying an additional 329 shares during the last quarter. Beck Bode LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $11,743,000. Finally, Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Marriott International by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,757 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,975,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MAR has been the subject of several recent research reports. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $210.00 to $259.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $239.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 19th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Marriott International from $250.00 to $248.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Argus raised their price objective on Marriott International from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 19th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on Marriott International from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Marriott International has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $241.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Eric Hippeau sold 1,400 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $251.19, for a total transaction of $351,666.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 72 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,085.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Marriott International news, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,563 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.39, for a total value of $856,509.57. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 36,778 shares in the company, valued at $8,841,063.42. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Eric Hippeau sold 1,400 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.19, for a total value of $351,666.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 72 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,085.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 125,003 shares of company stock valued at $30,435,493 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of MAR opened at $234.59 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $165.13 and a 52 week high of $260.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.21, a P/E/G ratio of 5.24 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $247.74 and a 200-day simple moving average of $228.13.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.17 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $5.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.95 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 376.88% and a net margin of 12.00%. Marriott International’s revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.09 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 22nd were given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 21st. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.89%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.47%.

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