Man Group plc Reduces Stock Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Man Group plc cut its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 75.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 32,670 shares of the company’s stock after selling 102,544 shares during the quarter. Man Group plc’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $9,113,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MAR. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. bought a new stake in Marriott International during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc boosted its position in Marriott International by 112.2% in the 4th quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 494.4% during the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 107 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Finally, Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on MAR shares. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Melius Research raised shares of Marriott International to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Evercore ISI raised shares of Marriott International from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $275.00 to $267.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $276.60.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR opened at $273.23 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $239.16 and its 200-day moving average price is $266.80. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $204.55 and a 1-year high of $307.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $74.84 billion, a PE ratio of 32.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.39.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.25 by $0.07. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 116.67% and a net margin of 9.46%. The business had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.19 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.13 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.98%. This is a boost from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. Marriott International’s payout ratio is presently 30.52%.

Insider Activity

In other Marriott International news, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $286.65, for a total value of $1,003,275.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 24,733 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,089,714.45. This represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.07, for a total transaction of $4,031,458.86. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 14,282 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,971,395.74. This trade represents a 50.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 32,694 shares of company stock valued at $9,208,342 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 10.68% of the company’s stock.

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.