Empirical Finance LLC Buys 154 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Empirical Finance LLC lifted its position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 8,823 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Empirical Finance LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $2,193,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MAR. Bangor Savings Bank boosted its position in Marriott International by 131.1% during the 2nd quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the second quarter valued at $28,000. Silvant Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Marriott International in the third quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Unique Wealth Strategies LLC purchased a new position in Marriott International in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on MAR. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Marriott International from $268.00 to $250.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Truist Financial reduced their price target on Marriott International from $263.00 to $254.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $259.00.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In related news, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 2,360 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.41, for a total value of $673,567.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 39,726 shares in the company, valued at $11,338,197.66. This trade represents a 5.61 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.49, for a total value of $137,245.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,286 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,372,384.14. This trade represents a 3.91 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 12,108 shares of company stock valued at $3,434,439 over the last quarter. 12.32% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Marriott International Stock Down 1.1 %

MAR opened at $278.78 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $77.47 billion, a P/E 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. The business has a fifty day moving average of $256.59 and a 200 day moving average of $241.73.

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

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 21st. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.90%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.36%.

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.