Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Shares Sold by Hartford Investment Management Co.

Hartford Investment Management Co. trimmed its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 3.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,258 shares of the company’s stock after selling 478 shares during the period. Hartford Investment Management Co.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $3,977,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Certuity LLC purchased a new stake in Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $274,000. David Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter valued at $1,075,000. Quent Capital LLC boosted its position in Marriott International by 9.2% during the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 1,125 shares of the company’s stock worth $314,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Essex Financial Services Inc. raised its position in Marriott International by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. now owns 3,004 shares of the company’s stock valued at $838,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth about $335,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on MAR shares. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Marriott International from $252.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Argus boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Marriott International from $251.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Macquarie reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $245.00 price objective on shares of Marriott International in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on Marriott International from $294.00 to $301.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $284.45.

Marriott International Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of NASDAQ MAR opened at $290.45 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $80.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.38, a P/E/G ratio of 4.88 and a beta of 1.57. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $284.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $261.87. 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 quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.37 by $0.08. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 177.91% and a net margin of 11.18%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 9.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marriott International news, insider William P. Brown sold 1,707 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.30, for a total transaction of $485,300.10. Following the sale, the insider now owns 23,077 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,560,791.10. The trade was a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 10.07% of the company’s stock.

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, City Express by Marriott, and St.