Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Shares Purchased by Baird Financial Group Inc.

Baird Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 2.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 46,675 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,306 shares during the quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $13,020,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MAR. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. acquired a new stake in Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 112.2% during the 4th quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 494.4% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 107 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $245.00 price objective (down previously from $313.00) on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Susquehanna increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $255.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. UBS Group upped their price objective on Marriott International from $294.00 to $301.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. 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. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $272.75.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Susan C. Schwab sold 1,054 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $277.48, for a total value of $292,463.92. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 4,551 shares in the company, valued at $1,262,811.48. This trade represents a 18.80 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider William P. Brown sold 12,642 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.63, for a total transaction of $3,610,934.46. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 30,919 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,831,393.97. The trade was a 29.02 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 31,694 shares of company stock valued at $8,938,132 over the last quarter. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of MAR stock opened at $255.99 on Thursday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $204.55 and a 1 year high of $307.52. The firm has a market cap of $70.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.77, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.39. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $238.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $266.43.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 negative return on equity of 116.67% and a net margin of 9.46%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.13 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 27th were issued a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 27th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.98%. Marriott International’s payout ratio is 30.29%.

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.