Mizuho Securities USA LLC Buys 116,477 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Mizuho Securities USA LLC increased its position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 629.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 134,973 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 116,477 shares during the quarter. Mizuho Securities USA LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $33,554,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bangor Savings Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 131.1% in the second 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. bought a new position in Marriott International during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Silvant Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Unique Wealth Strategies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the second quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MAR opened at $278.78 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $77.47 billion, a PE ratio of 29.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.63 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $256.59 and a 200-day simple moving average of $241.73. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $200.94 and a 12 month high of $289.04.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued 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 business had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.27 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.11 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 21st will be issued a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.90%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 21st. Marriott International’s payout ratio is currently 26.36%.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In related news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.49, for a total transaction of $137,245.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,286 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,372,384.14. This trade represents a 3.91 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 2,360 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.41, for a total value of $673,567.60. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 39,726 shares in the company, valued at $11,338,197.66. This represents a 5.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 12,108 shares of company stock worth $3,434,439. 12.32% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAR has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Marriott International from $235.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Macquarie reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $245.00 target price on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $222.00 to $216.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Marriott International has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $259.00.

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.