Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Shares Sold by First Fiduciary Investment Counsel Inc.

First Fiduciary Investment Counsel Inc. decreased its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 3.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 52,722 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,783 shares during the quarter. Marriott International makes up about 2.7% of First Fiduciary Investment Counsel Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 11th largest position. First Fiduciary Investment Counsel Inc.'s holdings in Marriott International were worth $12,558,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MAR. Straightline Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter valued at $495,000. NewEdge Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Marriott International by 34.4% during the 4th quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 4,345 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,212,000 after acquiring an additional 1,112 shares in the last quarter. Markel Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 30.6% in the fourth quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 47,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $13,110,000 after purchasing an additional 11,000 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Marriott International by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,477,619 shares of the company's stock worth $412,167,000 after purchasing an additional 32,288 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $463,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marriott International news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 20,724 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,599,832.04. The trade was a 4.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.28, for a total transaction of $670,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 5,706 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,530,805.68. The trade was a 30.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 15,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,107,710. Company insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MAR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $293.00 to $285.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Melius Research upgraded Marriott International to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 21st. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Barclays decreased their price target on Marriott International from $283.00 to $236.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $226.00 to $303.00 in a report on Monday, May 12th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marriott International currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $275.90.

Marriott International Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:MAR opened at $273.47 on Monday. The business's 50 day moving average is $257.62 and its 200-day moving average is $262.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $74.90 billion, a PE ratio of 31.15, a PEG ratio of 3.37 and a beta of 1.42. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $204.55 and a 1-year high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 in the previous year, the company earned $2.13 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS 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 $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 23rd. This is a boost from Marriott International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.98%. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.52%.

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.

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