Anyone interested in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) should probably be aware that the Executive VP & Chief Human Resources Officer, Benjamin Breland, recently divested US$137k worth of shares in the company, at an average price of US$274 each. However, the silver lining is that the sale only reduced their total holding by 3.6%, so we're hesitant to read anything much into it, on its own.

Marriott International Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the CFO & Executive VP of Development, Kathleen Oberg, sold US$11m worth of shares at a price of US$243 per share. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$278, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. As a general rule we consider it to be discouraging when insiders are selling below the current price, because it suggests they were happy with a lower valuation. While insider selling is not a positive sign, we can't be sure if it does mean insiders think the shares are fully valued, so it's only a weak sign. This single sale was 67% of Kathleen Oberg's stake.

Marriott International insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

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Does Marriott International Boast High Insider Ownership?

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Marriott International insiders own about US$6.5b worth of shares (which is 8.5% of the company). This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Marriott International Tell Us?

An insider sold Marriott International shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. On the plus side, Marriott International makes money, and is growing profits. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Marriott International. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with Marriott International and understanding it should be part of your investment process.

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For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.