Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Sees Large Decrease in Short Interest

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) saw a large decrease in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,330,000 shares, a decrease of 17.2% from the January 15th total of 5,230,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,340,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.2 days. Currently, 1.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Marriott International stock opened at $283.52 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $78.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.66, a PEG ratio of 4.88 and a beta of 1.57. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $284.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $262.26. Marriott International has a 1 year low of $204.55 and a 1 year high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a net margin of 11.18% and a negative return on equity of 177.91%. Sell-side analysts predict that Marriott International will post 9.26 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 27th will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 27th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.89%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.36%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on MAR. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $295.00 to $283.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Macquarie reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $245.00 price objective on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $280.00 to $314.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Evercore ISI raised shares of Marriott International from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $262.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $284.45.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total transaction of $485,300.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 23,077 shares in the company, valued at $6,560,791.10. This trade represents a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 12.32% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MAR. Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC now owns 5,554 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,549,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 10.8% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 379 shares of the company’s stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. TFG Advisers LLC increased its holdings in Marriott International by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. TFG Advisers LLC now owns 4,426 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,235,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 0.4% in the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 8,698 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,162,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 3,290 shares of the company’s stock worth $918,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Company 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.