Mechanics Financial Corp Reduces Stock Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Mechanics Financial Corp decreased its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,000 shares of the company’s stock after selling 52 shares during the period. Mechanics Financial Corp’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,395,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAR. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $580,922,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Marriott International by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,477,619 shares of the company’s stock valued at $412,167,000 after acquiring an additional 32,288 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 valued at $254,613,000 after acquiring an additional 46,563 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 8.4% in the 3rd quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 613,052 shares of the company’s stock worth $152,399,000 after acquiring an additional 47,551 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth about $165,162,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Evercore ISI raised shares of Marriott International from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Barclays reduced their target price on Marriott International from $287.00 to $283.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Argus boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Susquehanna raised their price target on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $286.05.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider William P. Brown sold 12,642 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $285.63, for a total value of $3,610,934.46. Following the sale, the insider now owns 30,919 shares in the company, valued at $8,831,393.97. This represents a 29.02 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Susan C. Schwab sold 1,054 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $277.48, for a total transaction of $292,463.92. Following the transaction, 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 quarter, insiders sold 31,694 shares of company stock valued at $8,938,132. Insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR stock opened at $237.01 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $65.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.49, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.58. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $272.32 and its 200 day moving average is $270.31. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $204.55 and a 1-year high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. On average, analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared 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 is Thursday, February 27th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.06%. Marriott International’s payout ratio is 30.29%.

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.