Norges Bank Takes Position in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Norges Bank bought a new stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 2,338,743 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $638,968,000.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of MAR. AlphaQuest LLC boosted its holdings in Marriott International by 2,750.0% in the 2nd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 114 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Addison Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Marriott International during the second quarter worth about $34,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Quaker Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Marriott International by 203.4% during the second quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 150 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 295 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 198.0% during the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 149 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on MAR shares. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Marriott International from $302.00 to $296.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on Marriott International from $287.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Marriott International in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $329.00 price objective on the stock. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Marriott International presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $289.87.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In related news, EVP Peggy Roe sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $292.12, for a total transaction of $584,240.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 17,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,102,167.92. This represents a 10.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider William P. Brown sold 6,666 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.04, for a total value of $1,866,746.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 11,000 shares in the company, valued at $3,080,440. This trade represents a 37.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 86,672 shares of company stock worth $25,174,655. Corporate insiders own 10.68% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Trading Up 0.1%

MAR stock opened at $305.05 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $81.86 billion, a PE ratio of 32.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 1.36. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $274.66 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $270.02. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $205.40 and a 12-month high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $2.47 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.38 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.46 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 89.29% and a net margin of 10.07%. Marriott International has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.540-2.620 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 9.980-10.060 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 20th will be given a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 20th. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.30%.

Marriott International announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Thursday, August 7th that permits the company to repurchase 25,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

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.