Commonwealth Equity Services LLC Sells 821 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lowered its position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 0.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 119,082 shares of the company’s stock after selling 821 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $28,791,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Roble Belko & Company Inc lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 845.5% in the 1st quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. Bangor Savings Bank lifted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 59 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. bought a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 1st quarter worth $29,000. Finally, MFA Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Marriott International during the second quarter valued at about $28,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Marriott International Price Performance

MAR stock opened at $234.69 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $232.36 and its 200-day simple moving average is $239.22. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $180.75 and a 12 month high of $260.57. The company has a market capitalization of $66.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.51 and a beta of 1.60.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.49 by $0.01. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 239.60% and a net margin of 12.01%. The company had revenue of $6.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.47 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.26 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 16th will be given a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 16th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.07%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.01%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of Marriott International from $252.00 to $245.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Marriott International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their target price for the company from $247.00 to $262.00 in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group decreased their price objective on Marriott International from $267.00 to $244.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Marriott International from $248.00 to $238.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, Susquehanna started coverage on Marriott International in a research note on Friday, June 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $255.00 price target for the company. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marriott International currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $244.44.

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, and City Express by Marriott brand names, as well as operates residences, timeshares, and yachts.