Boston Partners Lowers Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Boston Partners trimmed its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 16.0% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 689,744 shares of the company’s stock after selling 131,607 shares during the period. Boston Partners owned approximately 0.24% of Marriott International worth $174,014,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth $461,525,000. Jennison Associates LLC lifted its stake in Marriott International by 34.8% during the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 4,547,098 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,025,416,000 after purchasing an additional 1,173,028 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors lifted its stake in Marriott International by 42.2% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 3,147,501 shares of the company’s stock worth $709,793,000 after purchasing an additional 934,304 shares in the last quarter. Global Assets Advisory LLC acquired a new position in Marriott International during the first quarter worth $153,697,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 557.2% in the fourth quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 496,505 shares of the company’s stock valued at $111,967,000 after acquiring an additional 420,962 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MAR. Susquehanna initiated coverage on Marriott International in a research note on Friday, June 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $255.00 price objective on the stock. Barclays raised their price target on Marriott International from $240.00 to $251.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Marriott International from $235.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 19th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Marriott International from $248.00 to $238.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Marriott International from $252.00 to $245.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $241.42.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR stock traded down $5.11 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $213.67. 3,679,065 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,579,860. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $180.75 and a 1-year high of $260.57. The firm has a market cap of $60.15 billion, a PE ratio of 22.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 1.60. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $237.97 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $241.79.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $2.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.49 by $0.01. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 239.60% and a net margin of 12.01%. The firm had revenue of $6.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.47 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.26 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 16th will be paid a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.18%. Marriott International’s payout ratio is currently 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.