Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. Trims Stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. cut its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 23.5% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 674 shares of the company’s stock after selling 207 shares during the quarter. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $152,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Grove Bank & Trust boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 1,307 shares of the company’s stock valued at $295,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Argus Investors Counsel Inc. boosted its stake in Marriott International by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Argus Investors Counsel Inc. now owns 7,731 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,743,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors boosted its stake in Marriott International by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors now owns 1,673 shares of the company’s stock valued at $377,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Marriott International by 0.9% in the third quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,989 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,177,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ORG Partners LLC boosted its stake in Marriott International by 72.6% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 126 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marriott International Stock Down 0.9 %

MAR opened at $236.30 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $162.77 and a twelve month high of $260.57. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $248.53 and a 200 day moving average price of $225.12. The company has a market cap of $68.28 billion, a PE ratio of 23.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.62.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $3.57 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.12 by $1.45. Marriott International had a net margin of 13.00% and a negative return on equity of 848.49%. The firm had revenue of $6.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.96 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 21st. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.88%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.41%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $234.00 to $239.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. Mizuho assumed coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Tuesday, March 26th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $263.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $248.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $210.00 to $259.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $234.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 18th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $236.81.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

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

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