Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Stock Position Lifted by Kinsale Capital Group Inc.

Kinsale Capital Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 27.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 19,339 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,178 shares during the period. Kinsale Capital Group Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $5,394,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAR. Financial Advocates Investment Management grew its position in Marriott International by 23.8% in the third quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management now owns 2,485 shares of the company’s stock worth $618,000 after acquiring an additional 478 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in Marriott International by 3.6% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,621 shares of the company’s stock worth $652,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Silvant Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Marriott International in the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Private Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in Marriott International by 1.8% in the third quarter. Private Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,620 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,149,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 0.4% in the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 8,698 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,162,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marriott International Stock Performance

MAR opened at $280.45 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $283.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $267.30. Marriott International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $204.55 and a twelve month high of $307.52. The firm has a market cap of $77.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.71, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.57.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.46% and a negative return on equity of 116.67%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 27th will be paid a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.90%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 27th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.29%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on MAR. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $252.00 to $283.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $277.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $246.00 to $293.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $284.05.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Susan C. Schwab sold 1,054 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $277.48, for a total value of $292,463.92. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 4,551 shares in the company, valued at $1,262,811.48. This trade represents a 18.80 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.07, for a total transaction of $4,031,458.86. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 14,282 shares in the company, valued at $3,971,395.74. This represents a 50.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 31,694 shares of company stock valued at $8,938,132. 12.32% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.