WBI Investments LLC Purchases New Shares in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

WBI Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 32,847 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,407,000. Marriott International accounts for approximately 1.5% of WBI Investments LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest position.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Manchester Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Marriott International by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 1,841 shares of the company’s stock worth $415,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. Grove Bank & Trust raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 1,307 shares of the company’s stock worth $295,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Argus Investors Counsel Inc. raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Argus Investors Counsel Inc. now owns 7,731 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,743,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors now owns 1,673 shares of the company’s stock worth $377,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LGL Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. LGL Partners LLC now owns 2,630 shares of the company’s stock worth $593,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 20,000 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.48, for a total value of $4,969,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 93,323 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,188,899.04. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other Marriott International news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.48, for a total value of $4,969,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 93,323 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,188,899.04. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider David S. Marriott sold 2,878 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.94, for a total value of $716,449.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 596,042 shares in the company, valued at approximately $148,378,695.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 27,027 shares of company stock valued at $6,730,271 in the last 90 days. 10.07% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Argus raised their price target on Marriott International from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 19th. Mizuho raised their price objective on Marriott International from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. UBS Group raised their price objective on Marriott International from $210.00 to $259.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Marriott International from $250.00 to $248.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Marriott International from $248.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marriott International presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $241.33.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MAR traded down $2.12 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $236.16. 1,091,578 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,425,987. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $244.70 and its 200-day simple moving average is $233.00. The company has a market capitalization of $67.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 1.61. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $165.13 and a 1-year high of $260.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.17 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $5.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.95 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 12.00% and a negative return on equity of 376.88%. Marriott International’s quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.09 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Investors of record on Friday, May 24th will be paid a $0.63 dividend. This is a positive change from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 23rd. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.07%. Marriott International’s payout ratio is currently 21.47%.

Marriott International Company 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.