First Bank & Trust Reduces Stock Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

First Bank & Trust reduced its holdings in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 5.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,553 shares of the company’s stock after selling 97 shares during the quarter. First Bank & Trust’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $433,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MAR. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its holdings in Marriott International by 494.4% during the 4th 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. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Silvant Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Heck Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MAR has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. TD Cowen decreased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $295.00 to $283.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $277.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $252.00 to $283.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $294.00 to $301.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $284.05.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of Marriott International stock opened at $287.20 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $204.55 and a 52-week high of $307.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $79.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.43 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a fifty day moving average of $283.92 and a 200-day moving average of $264.29.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.46% and a negative return on equity of 116.67%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 27th will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 27th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.88%. Marriott International’s payout ratio is currently 30.29%.

Marriott International 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.