Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd Purchases 2,000 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd boosted its position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 15.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 15,190 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares during the period. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $3,776,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MAR. BDF Gestion purchased a new position in Marriott International in the second quarter valued at about $3,013,000. Jensen Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Marriott International in the third quarter valued at about $793,000. CWM LLC boosted its stake in Marriott International by 518.7% in the second 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 purchased a new position in Marriott International in the third quarter valued at about $1,254,000. Finally, Kinsale Capital Group Inc. purchased a new position in Marriott International in the third quarter valued at about $3,769,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.49, for a total transaction of $137,245.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 12,286 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,372,384.14. This represents a 3.91 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 2,360 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $285.41, for a total transaction of $673,567.60. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 39,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,338,197.66. The trade was a 5.61 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 13,815 shares of company stock valued at $3,919,739. Insiders own 10.07% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MAR opened at $288.18 on Wednesday. Marriott International, Inc. has a one year low of $200.94 and a one year high of $289.80. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $264.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $244.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $80.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.14, a PEG ratio of 5.67 and a beta of 1.58.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.27 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.11 EPS. Marriott International’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.36%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on MAR shares. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $240.00 to $249.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $252.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on shares of Marriott International from $222.00 to $216.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of Marriott International from $295.00 to $283.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $260.20.

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.