Braun Stacey Associates Inc. Cuts Stock Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Braun Stacey Associates Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 16.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 80,145 shares of the company’s stock after selling 15,998 shares during the period. Braun Stacey Associates Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $19,924,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bangor Savings Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 131.1% during the second quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the second quarter worth about $26,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Silvant Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Unique Wealth Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the second quarter worth about $35,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,286 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,372,384.14. This represents a 3.91 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 8,332 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.49, for a total transaction of $2,370,370.68. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 108,361 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,827,620.89. The trade was a 7.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 12,108 shares of company stock worth $3,434,439. Insiders own 12.32% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Trading Down 1.1 %

NASDAQ:MAR opened at $278.78 on Monday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $256.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $241.82. The company has a market cap of $77.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.16, a P/E/G ratio of 5.48 and a beta of 1.58. Marriott International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $200.94 and a twelve month high of $289.04.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.31 by ($0.05). The business 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 business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.11 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAR has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Marriott International in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. They set a “buy” rating and a $267.00 target price for the company. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $258.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $240.00 to $249.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $238.00 to $261.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marriott International currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $259.00.

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.