Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. Cuts Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. lessened its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 25,519 shares of the company’s stock after selling 197 shares during the quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $6,170,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MAR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in Marriott International by 1.8% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,616,899 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,678,750,000 after purchasing an additional 192,652 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its stake in Marriott International by 4.7% during the first quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 3,296,879 shares of the company’s stock worth $831,836,000 after acquiring an additional 149,378 shares during the last quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC now owns 2,457,382 shares of the company’s stock valued at $554,164,000 after purchasing an additional 7,135 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 679,757 shares of the company’s stock valued at $164,355,000 after purchasing an additional 33,149 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in Marriott International by 11.9% in the first quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 635,202 shares of the company’s stock worth $160,268,000 after buying an additional 67,659 shares during the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MAR opened at $244.39 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $69.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.34 and a beta of 1.59. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $229.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $237.88. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $180.75 and a 1-year high of $260.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $2.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.49 by $0.01. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 239.60% and a net margin of 12.01%. The business had revenue of $6.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.47 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.26 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th will be paid a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 16th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.03%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.01%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MAR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Marriott International from $235.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Susquehanna initiated coverage on Marriott International in a research report on Friday, June 21st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $255.00 target price for the company. Macquarie reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $245.00 price target on shares of Marriott International in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on Marriott International from $222.00 to $216.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Wednesday. They set a “buy” rating and a $267.00 target price for the company. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $247.33.

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.