Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Shares Acquired by Vista Investment Partners LLC

Vista Investment Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 1.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 12,565 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the quarter. Vista Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $2,993,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MAR. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Marriott International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 112.2% in the 4th quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 46.7% during the first quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 157 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.90, for a total value of $3,166,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 124,067 shares in the company, valued at $32,741,281.30. This trade represents a 8.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.21, for a total transaction of $270,210.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,724 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,599,832.04. This represents a 4.60% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 10.68% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Marriott International Trading Up 1.1%

Marriott International stock opened at $257.91 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $250.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $264.34. Marriott International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $204.55 and a twelve month high of $307.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $70.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.00, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.42.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.25 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.19 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 116.67% and a net margin of 9.46%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.13 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.67 per share. This is a boost from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.04%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.52%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MAR. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Melius Research upgraded Marriott International to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Dbs Bank raised Marriott International from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. 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 report on Monday, May 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $277.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Marriott International presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $275.15.

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.