Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Shares Acquired by E Fund Management Co. Ltd.

E Fund Management Co. Ltd. raised its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 19.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 11,933 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,970 shares during the period. E Fund Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $2,192,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. purchased a new stake in Marriott International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Northwest Bank & Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Marriott International by 6,566.7% during the second quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 200 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. 58.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MAR traded up $0.35 on Tuesday, hitting $207.31. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 366,418 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,820,252. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 73.56, a current ratio of 0.48 and a quick ratio of 0.48. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $195.30 and a 200-day moving average of $190.90. The company has a market capitalization of $60.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.57. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $145.37 and a 12-month high of $210.98.

Marriott International announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Thursday, November 9th that allows the company to buyback 25,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 29th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 21st. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.00%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.03%.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In other news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 20,000 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Monday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $202.23, for a total value of $4,044,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 100,317 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,287,106.91. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Marriott International news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 8,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.03, for a total transaction of $1,656,240.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 4,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $828,120. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $202.23, for a total value of $4,044,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 100,317 shares in the company, valued at $20,287,106.91. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded shares of Marriott International from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $204.00 to $218.00 in a research report on Monday, August 14th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Marriott International from $185.00 to $215.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 12th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Marriott International from $198.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 2nd. Finally, HSBC started coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Monday, October 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $233.00 price target on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marriott International currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $213.93.

Marriott International Profile

Marriott International, Inc operates, franchises, and licenses hotel, residential, timeshare, and other lodging properties worldwide. The company operates through U.S. and Canada, and International segments. It operates its properties under the JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, W Hotels, The Luxury Collection, St.