Wilbanks Smith & Thomas Asset Management LLC Lowers Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Wilbanks Smith & Thomas Asset Management LLC decreased its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 2.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,435 shares of the company’s stock after selling 65 shares during the quarter. Wilbanks Smith & Thomas Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $549,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Raymond James & Associates lifted its position in Marriott International by 33.0% during the third quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 540,684 shares of the company’s stock valued at $106,277,000 after purchasing an additional 134,079 shares in the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 14.2% during the third quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 22,976 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,516,000 after buying an additional 2,858 shares during the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the third quarter valued at approximately $310,000. Segment Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Marriott International by 2,786.7% in the third quarter. Segment Wealth Management LLC now owns 50,517 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,930,000 after purchasing an additional 48,767 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Investment Advisors MI bought a new position in Marriott International in the third quarter worth approximately $714,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Mizuho increased their price objective on Marriott International from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. UBS Group increased their price target on Marriott International from $210.00 to $259.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Argus increased their price target on Marriott International from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 19th. Barclays increased their price target on Marriott International from $239.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 19th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price target on Marriott International from $248.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Eleven equities 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, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $237.31.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Satyajit Anand sold 2,749 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.93, for a total value of $692,555.57. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 24,478 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,166,742.54. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,563 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $240.39, for a total value of $856,509.57. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 36,778 shares in the company, valued at $8,841,063.42. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Satyajit Anand sold 2,749 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $251.93, for a total transaction of $692,555.57. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 24,478 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,166,742.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 125,003 shares of company stock valued at $30,435,493. 12.32% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Marriott International Trading Up 0.4 %

MAR traded up $1.03 on Friday, hitting $236.59. 330,440 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,442,159. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $247.74 and a two-hundred day moving average of $228.13. Marriott International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $165.13 and a twelve month high of $260.57. The firm has a market cap of $68.37 billion, a PE ratio of 24.31, a P/E/G ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 1.61.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.17 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $5.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.95 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 574.15% and a net margin of 12.00%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.09 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.48 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 22nd were issued a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.88%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 21st. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.47%.

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, and City Express by Marriott brand names, as well as operates residences, timeshares, and yachts.