KBC Group NV Lowers Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

KBC Group NV lowered its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 47,658 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,411 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $11,847,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Capital International Investors lifted its stake in Marriott International by 4.7% in the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 3,296,879 shares of the company’s stock worth $831,836,000 after purchasing an additional 149,378 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service boosted its stake in Marriott International by 11.6% during the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 719,613 shares of the company’s stock valued at $178,896,000 after buying an additional 74,832 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in Marriott International by 5.1% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 679,757 shares of the company’s stock worth $164,355,000 after acquiring an additional 33,149 shares in the last quarter. First Pacific Advisors LP increased its stake in Marriott International by 2.1% during the second quarter. First Pacific Advisors LP now owns 613,205 shares of the company’s stock worth $148,255,000 after acquiring an additional 12,499 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 566,548 shares of the company’s stock valued at $140,844,000 after purchasing an additional 2,723 shares during the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on MAR shares. Bank of America increased their price target on Marriott International from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $268.00 to $250.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $267.00 to $244.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $259.00.

Marriott International Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of MAR stock opened at $278.78 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $256.59 and its 200 day moving average is $241.73. The firm has a market cap of $77.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.16, a PEG ratio of 5.63 and a beta of 1.58. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $200.94 and a 52-week high of $289.04.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.31 by ($0.05). Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.27 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.11 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 21st. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.90%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In related news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.49, for a total transaction of $137,245.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,286 shares in the company, valued at $3,372,384.14. The trade was a 3.91 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Felitia Lee sold 916 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.48, for a total value of $253,255.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,609 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,550,776.32. This trade represents a 14.04 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 12,108 shares of company stock worth $3,434,439 over the last three months. 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, City Express by Marriott, and St.