Blackhawk Capital Partners LLC. Buys New Stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Blackhawk Capital Partners LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $223,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its position in Marriott International by 494.4% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 107 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Silvant Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, ORG Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 158.5% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 137 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently issued reports on MAR. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Evercore ISI raised shares of Marriott International from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $330.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $294.00 to $301.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $284.05.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $278.07, for a total value of $4,031,458.86. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 14,282 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,971,395.74. This represents a 50.38 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $286.65, for a total value of $1,003,275.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,089,714.45. The trade was a 12.40 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 12.32% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Marriott International Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MAR opened at $276.76 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $76.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.26, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.57. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $204.55 and a 1 year high of $307.52. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $283.46 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $265.88.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.46% and a negative return on equity of 116.67%. On average, analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 27th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.91%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.29%.

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.