Brown Advisory Inc. Trims Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Brown Advisory Inc. decreased its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 2.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 88,465 shares of the company's stock after selling 2,591 shares during the quarter. Brown Advisory Inc.'s holdings in Marriott International were worth $21,072,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MAR. Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC now owns 5,554 shares of the company's stock worth $1,549,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. 4J Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Marriott International by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. 4J Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,224 shares of the company's stock valued at $292,000 after buying an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions LLC raised its stake in Marriott International by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions LLC now owns 2,019 shares of the company's stock valued at $587,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 46.7% during the first quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 157 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 3.4% during the first quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 1,529 shares of the company's stock valued at $364,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on MAR. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $245.00 target price (down from $313.00) on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Monday, April 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Marriott International in a research report on Monday, June 23rd. They set a "neutral" rating and a $284.00 price target for the company. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their target price on Marriott International from $293.00 to $285.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $275.90.

Marriott International Price Performance

MAR stock traded down $0.65 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $281.65. 990,597 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,590,819. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $204.55 and a 12-month high of $307.52. The stock's 50 day moving average is $266.48 and its 200 day moving average is $262.65. The company has a market cap of $77.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.48 and a beta of 1.41.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.25 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.19 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.75% and a negative return on equity of 100.64%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.13 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd were paid a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 23rd. This is a positive change from Marriott International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.95%. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.52%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.28, for a total value of $670,700.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,706 shares in the company, valued at $1,530,805.68. This trade represents a 30.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.21, for a total value of $270,210.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,724 shares in the company, valued at $5,599,832.04. The trade was a 4.60% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,107,710. Corporate insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

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.