Investors Purchase Large Volume of Marriott International Call Options (NASDAQ:MAR)

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) saw unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock traders bought 24,751 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 850% compared to the typical daily volume of 2,604 call options.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MAR traded down $15.72 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $288.73. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,541,485 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,456,038. The stock has a market cap of $80.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.88 and a beta of 1.57. Marriott International has a one year low of $204.55 and a one year high of $307.52. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $284.30 and its 200-day simple moving average is $261.51.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a net margin of 11.18% and a negative return on equity of 177.91%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Marriott International will post 9.26 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MAR shares. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Marriott International from $295.00 to $283.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Argus boosted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $262.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. 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.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $276.35.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total transaction of $485,300.10. Following the sale, the insider now owns 23,077 shares in the company, valued at $6,560,791.10. The trade was a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 12.32% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,477,619 shares of the company’s stock valued at $412,167,000 after purchasing an additional 32,288 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 4.8% in the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,024,187 shares of the company’s stock valued at $254,613,000 after acquiring an additional 46,563 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 11.6% in the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 719,613 shares of the company’s stock valued at $178,896,000 after acquiring an additional 74,832 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 8.4% in the third quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 613,052 shares of the company’s stock valued at $152,399,000 after acquiring an additional 47,551 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter valued at about $165,162,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.