Calamos Advisors LLC Has $3.24 Million Stock Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Calamos Advisors LLC lessened its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 58.0% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 11,609 shares of the company’s stock after selling 16,000 shares during the period. Calamos Advisors LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $3,238,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 494.4% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 107 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Silvant Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Marriott International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. ORG Partners LLC lifted its holdings 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Felitia Lee sold 916 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.48, for a total value of $253,255.68. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,609 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,550,776.32. This trade represents a 14.04 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was 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. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 13,315 shares of company stock worth $3,782,494. Corporate insiders own 10.07% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MAR opened at $290.75 on Wednesday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $204.55 and a 52-week high of $295.45. The business’s fifty day moving average is $283.11 and its 200 day moving average is $259.42. The firm has a market cap of $80.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.41, a PEG ratio of 4.68 and a beta of 1.57.

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

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 21st were given a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 21st. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.87%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.36%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have weighed in on MAR. Mizuho raised their price objective on Marriott International from $233.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on Marriott International from $295.00 to $283.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Argus lifted their price target on Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $276.35.

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.