Capital International Sarl Invests $1.95 Million in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Capital International Sarl bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund bought 7,723 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,949,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MAR. Roble Belko & Company Inc boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 845.5% during the first quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. ORG Partners LLC lifted its stake in Marriott International by 72.6% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 126 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc. purchased a new stake in Marriott International in the first quarter worth about $29,000. Keener Financial Planning LLC purchased a new stake in Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MAR has been the subject of several analyst reports. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $248.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $235.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $248.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 2nd. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $240.00 to $251.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $235.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $243.59.

Marriott International Price Performance

NASDAQ:MAR traded up $2.85 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $236.60. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 929,373 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,445,074. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $180.75 and a fifty-two week high of $260.57. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $238.90 and its 200-day moving average is $241.75. The firm has a market cap of $67.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.42, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 1.60.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.17 by ($0.04). Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 376.88% and a net margin of 12.00%. The company had revenue of $5.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.95 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.09 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.56 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 24th were given a dividend of $0.63 per share. This is a positive change from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 23rd. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.07%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.01%.

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.