Oak Thistle LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Oak Thistle LLC increased its position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 660.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,159 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,349 shares during the period. Oak Thistle LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,718,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Silvant Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Marriott International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC acquired a new position in Marriott International during the second quarter worth about $36,000. ORG Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Marriott International by 158.5% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 137 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $40,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 2,360 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $285.41, for a total transaction of $673,567.60. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 39,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,338,197.66. The trade was a 5.61 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The shares were 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 directly owns 23,077 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,560,791.10. The trade was a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 13,815 shares of company stock worth $3,919,739. 12.32% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Marriott International Price Performance

Marriott International stock opened at $276.43 on Wednesday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $204.55 and a 12 month high of $295.45. The company has a market cap of $76.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.47 and a beta of 1.57. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $282.64 and its 200-day moving average is $255.36.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.31 by ($0.05). Marriott International had a net margin of 11.18% and a negative return on equity of 177.91%. The business had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.27 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.11 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on MAR. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $280.00 to $314.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $238.00 to $261.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Marriott International from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marriott International currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $269.65.

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.