Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC Increases Stock Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 11.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,450 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 348 shares during the period. Gratus Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $880,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Roble Belko & Company Inc increased its holdings in Marriott International by 845.5% in the first quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Bangor Savings Bank increased its stake in Marriott International by 131.1% in the 2nd quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in Marriott International during the second quarter worth $26,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. acquired a new stake in Marriott International in the first quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, MFA Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International in the second quarter valued at $28,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $267.00 price objective on the stock. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $252.00 to $245.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Marriott International from $268.00 to $250.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Marriott International from $248.00 to $238.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Marriott International from $235.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $248.65.

Marriott International Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of MAR opened at $256.58 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $73.28 billion, a PE ratio of 26.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.68 and a beta of 1.59. The company’s fifty day moving average is $231.29 and its two-hundred day moving average is $237.70. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $180.75 and a fifty-two week high of $260.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $2.50 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $6.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.47 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.26 earnings per share. The firm’s 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 year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 16th were given a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.98%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 16th. Marriott International’s payout ratio is currently 26.01%.

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.