Empirical Asset Management LLC Buys 1,196 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Empirical Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 114.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,241 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,196 shares during the period. Empirical Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $625,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in MAR. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in Marriott International by 4.8% in the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,024,187 shares of the company’s stock worth $254,613,000 after acquiring an additional 46,563 shares during the period. National Pension Service boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 11.6% during the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 719,613 shares of the company’s stock valued at $178,896,000 after purchasing an additional 74,832 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in Marriott International by 5.1% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 679,757 shares of the company’s stock valued at $164,355,000 after buying an additional 33,149 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its stake in Marriott International by 8.4% in the third quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 613,052 shares of the company’s stock worth $152,399,000 after buying an additional 47,551 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its position in Marriott International by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 566,548 shares of the company’s stock valued at $140,844,000 after acquiring an additional 2,723 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marriott International Trading Up 0.4 %

MAR opened at $277.18 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $282.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $255.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $77.03 billion, a PE ratio of 28.99, a P/E/G ratio of 4.48 and a beta of 1.57. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $204.55 and a 12-month high of $295.45.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.31 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.27 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 11.18% and a negative return on equity of 177.91%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.11 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 21st were issued a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.91%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International’s payout ratio is presently 26.36%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Mizuho boosted their price target on Marriott International from $233.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of Marriott International from $254.00 to $277.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $238.00 to $261.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on shares of Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $272.15.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 8,332 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.49, for a total transaction of $2,370,370.68. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 108,361 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $30,827,620.89. This represents a 7.14 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.49, for a total value of $137,245.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 12,286 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,372,384.14. This represents a 3.91 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 13,815 shares of company stock worth $3,919,739. Corporate insiders own 10.07% of the company’s stock.

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.