Marriott International, Inc. $MAR Shares Bought by Ascent Group LLC

Ascent Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 25.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,505 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 508 shares during the period. Ascent Group LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $597,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 0.9% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,236,478 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,820,329,000 after purchasing an additional 184,387 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 16.4% during the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,427,410 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,292,809,000 after purchasing an additional 766,309 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 18.9% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,123,836 shares of the company’s stock valued at $982,298,000 after purchasing an additional 654,766 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 194.7% during the first quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,709,665 shares of the company’s stock valued at $407,242,000 after purchasing an additional 1,129,555 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Marriott International by 2.5% during the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,514,831 shares of the company’s stock valued at $360,833,000 after buying an additional 37,212 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marriott International Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of MAR opened at $262.42 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $269.49 and its 200 day moving average price is $257.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $71.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.38. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $205.40 and a 1-year high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.65. The firm had revenue of $6.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.66 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 93.44% and a net margin of 9.60%.Marriott International’s revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.50 EPS. Marriott International has set its FY 2025 guidance at 9.850-10.080 EPS. Q3 2025 guidance at 2.310-2.390 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Thursday, August 7th that allows the company to buyback 25,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 21st. Marriott International’s payout ratio is 30.21%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marriott International news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.28, for a total transaction of $670,700.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,706 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,530,805.68. The trade was a 30.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on MAR. Dbs Bank raised Marriott International from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Marriott International from $285.00 to $287.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. UBS Group decreased their target price on Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on Marriott International from $285.00 to $280.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Marriott International in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. They set a “neutral” rating and a $284.00 target price for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Marriott International has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $281.26.

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.