Aberdeen Group plc Acquires 85,965 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• Aberdeen Group plc significantly raised its stake in Marriott International by 98.3% in the first quarter, owning approximately 0.06% of the company worth $40.8 million after acquiring 85,965 additional shares.
• Marriott announced a quarterly dividend of $0.67 per share, which will be distributed on September 30th, reflecting a 1.0% dividend yield and a payout ratio of 30.21%.
• Recent research reports show a mixed outlook for Marriott, with price targets ranging from $236 to $293, and a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $280.89.

Aberdeen Group plc raised its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 98.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 173,389 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 85,965 shares during the quarter. Aberdeen Group plc owned 0.06% of Marriott International worth $40,810,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MAR. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,887 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,479,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 157,246 shares of the company's stock valued at $43,841,000 after acquiring an additional 7,833 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Inc. CA lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 11.8% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Inc. CA now owns 102,080 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,474,000 after acquiring an additional 10,787 shares during the last quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 181.5% in the 4th quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 25,903 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,225,000 after acquiring an additional 16,701 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norinchukin Bank The lifted its stake in Marriott International by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Norinchukin Bank The now owns 11,559 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,224,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In related news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 24th. The shares were 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 approximately $1,530,805.68. This trade represents a 30.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.90, for a total transaction of $3,166,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 124,067 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,741,281.30. The trade was a 8.82% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Marriott International Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of MAR traded down $3.25 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $263.53. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,089,935 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,698,737. The firm has a market cap of $71.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.44. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $205.40 and a 1-year high of $307.52. The company has a 50 day moving average of $268.99 and a two-hundred day moving average of $260.36.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $2.65. The firm had revenue of $6.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.66 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 93.44% and a net margin of 9.60%.The firm's revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.50 earnings per share. Marriott International has set its FY 2025 guidance at 9.850-10.080 EPS. Q3 2025 guidance at 2.310-2.390 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, August 7th that authorizes the company to buyback 25,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 21st will be given 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.21%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MAR has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $275.00 to $267.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $283.00 to $236.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price objective for the company from $226.00 to $303.00 in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $293.00 to $285.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Dbs Bank raised shares of Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marriott International presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $281.00.

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.