Little House Capital LLC Boosts Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Little House Capital LLC raised its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 52.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 6,530 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,259 shares during the quarter. Little House Capital LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,473,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAR. Parnassus Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Marriott International in the third quarter valued at $481,621,000. FMR LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 16.1% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 8,634,610 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,697,219,000 after acquiring an additional 1,194,665 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 34.8% during the 4th quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 4,547,098 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,025,416,000 after acquiring an additional 1,173,028 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 1,487.6% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 345,246 shares of the company’s stock worth $77,856,000 after acquiring an additional 323,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James & Associates boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 33.0% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 540,684 shares of the company’s stock worth $106,277,000 after acquiring an additional 134,079 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MAR traded down $1.10 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $240.84. 1,065,547 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,409,872. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $248.36 and a 200 day simple moving average of $227.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $69.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.63, a PEG ratio of 5.37 and a beta of 1.62. Marriott International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $162.77 and a twelve month high of $260.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $3.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.12 by $1.45. The business had revenue of $6.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.20 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 13.00% and a negative return on equity of 848.49%. The business’s revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.96 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 22nd were given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 21st. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.86%. Marriott International’s payout ratio is currently 20.41%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Deborah Marriott Harrison sold 37,300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.46, for a total transaction of $9,006,458.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 9,100 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,197,286. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Marriott International news, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 47,109 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $242.71, for a total value of $11,433,825.39. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 20,036 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,862,937.56. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Deborah Marriott Harrison sold 37,300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.46, for a total transaction of $9,006,458.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 9,100 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,197,286. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 125,003 shares of company stock valued at $30,435,493. Company insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MAR. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $234.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, March 18th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $239.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 19th. Argus upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $270.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 19th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $230.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $248.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $236.69.

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