King Luther Capital Management Corp Lowers Stock Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

King Luther Capital Management Corp decreased its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 3.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,687 shares of the company’s stock after selling 167 shares during the period. King Luther Capital Management Corp’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,165,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MAR. BDF Gestion bought a new position in Marriott International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,013,000. Jensen Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the third quarter worth $793,000. CWM LLC increased its holdings in Marriott International by 518.7% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 47,519 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,489,000 after acquiring an additional 39,839 shares during the last quarter. BayBridge Capital Group LLC bought a new stake in Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,254,000. Finally, Kinsale Capital Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $3,769,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In other news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 8,332 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.49, for a total value of $2,370,370.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 108,361 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $30,827,620.89. The trade was a 7.14 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.49, for a total value of $137,245.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 12,286 shares in the company, valued at $3,372,384.14. This trade represents a 3.91 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 12,108 shares of company stock valued at $3,434,439. Company insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MAR opened at $284.29 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $261.88 and its 200-day simple moving average is $243.39. Marriott International, Inc. has a one year low of $200.94 and a one year high of $289.04. The firm has a market cap of $79.00 billion, a PE ratio of 29.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.58 and a beta of 1.58.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.31 by ($0.05). Marriott International had a net margin of 11.18% and a negative return on equity of 177.91%. The firm had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.27 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.11 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 21st will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.89%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.36%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MAR shares. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Marriott International from $267.00 to $244.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $295.00 to $283.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $233.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Marriott International has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $259.00.

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, City Express by Marriott, and St.