Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Shares Purchased by Assetmark Inc.

Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 30.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 293 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $70,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its position in Marriott International by 16.9% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 70,395 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,768,000 after purchasing an additional 10,158 shares during the period. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. increased its holdings in Marriott International by 7.0% in the first quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 8,858 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,110,000 after buying an additional 580 shares in the last quarter. Wakefield Asset Management LLLP purchased a new position in Marriott International in the first quarter valued at about $221,000. Oak Thistle LLC increased its holdings in Marriott International by 190.1% in the first quarter. Oak Thistle LLC now owns 17,870 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,257,000 after buying an additional 11,711 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BlueChip Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Marriott International in the first quarter valued at about $16,164,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of MAR opened at $259.13 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $70.98 billion, a PE ratio of 29.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.44. The company’s fifty day moving average is $269.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $261.85. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $204.55 and a fifty-two week high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.19 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.75% and a negative return on equity of 100.64%. Marriott International’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.13 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd were issued a $0.67 dividend. This is a boost from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.52%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on MAR shares. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $283.00 to $236.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Dbs Bank raised shares of Marriott International from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Marriott International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $226.00 to $303.00 in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $293.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Marriott International has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $280.11.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In related news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.90, for a total transaction of $3,166,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 124,067 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,741,281.30. The trade was a 8.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Monday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.21, for a total transaction of $270,210.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,724 shares in the company, valued at $5,599,832.04. The trade was a 4.60% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,107,710 in the last quarter. 10.68% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.