Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC Trims Position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC lessened its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 1.1% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 9,288 shares of the company’s stock after selling 105 shares during the quarter. Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $2,591,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in Marriott International in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 112.2% in the 4th quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 494.4% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 107 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Stock Up 5.4%

MAR stock opened at $271.96 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $237.91 and a 200 day moving average of $266.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $74.49 billion, a PE ratio of 32.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.39. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $204.55 and a 52 week high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.19 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.46% and a negative return on equity of 116.67%. Marriott International’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.13 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.99%. This is a boost from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. Marriott International’s payout ratio is presently 28.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on MAR shares. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $245.00 price target (down previously from $313.00) on shares of Marriott International in a report on Monday, April 14th. Truist Financial reduced their price target on shares of Marriott International from $308.00 to $300.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 21st. Susquehanna boosted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $277.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Melius Research raised shares of Marriott International to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $276.60.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other news, CFO Kathleen K. Oberg sold 14,498 shares of Marriott International 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 transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 14,282 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,971,395.74. The trade was a 50.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Susan C. Schwab sold 1,054 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $277.48, for a total transaction of $292,463.92. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 4,551 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,262,811.48. This trade represents a 18.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 31,694 shares of company stock worth $8,938,132. Company insiders own 10.68% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International 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.