Nikulski Financial Inc. Buys 250 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Nikulski Financial Inc. grew its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 3.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 7,256 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 250 shares during the period. Nikulski Financial Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,728,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAR. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. bought a new stake in Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda bought a new stake in Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 46.7% in the first quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Heck Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Navigoe LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $44,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MAR shares. Melius Research raised Marriott International to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 21st. Mizuho reduced their target price on Marriott International from $293.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Jefferies Financial Group raised Marriott International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the company from $226.00 to $303.00 in a report on Monday, May 12th. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their target price on Marriott International from $300.00 to $273.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 30th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $275.90.

Marriott International Price Performance

NASDAQ:MAR opened at $281.65 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $77.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.08, a P/E/G ratio of 3.48 and a beta of 1.41. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $266.48 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $262.65. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $204.55 and a 1 year high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.25 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.19 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 100.64% and a net margin of 9.75%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.13 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd were given a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 23rd. This is an increase from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.52%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.90, for a total value of $3,166,800.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 124,067 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,741,281.30. This trade represents a 8.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.28, for a total value of $670,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 5,706 shares in the company, valued at $1,530,805.68. This trade represents a 30.47% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,107,710. Corporate insiders own 10.68% 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.