Family Office Research LLC Decreases Position in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• Family Office Research LLC reduced its stake in Marriott International by 4.0%, now holding approximately 207,578 shares worth about $49.4 million, making it the firm's largest holding.
• Several hedge funds increased their positions in Marriott, with Sequoia Financial Advisors growing its stake by 11.9% and Vista Investment Partners boosting theirs by 22.5% during the first quarter.
• Marriott International announced a $0.67 quarterly dividend and initiated a buyback program of up to 25 million shares as part of its strategy to manage capital and potentially signal undervalued shares.

Family Office Research LLC decreased its position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 4.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 207,578 shares of the company's stock after selling 8,699 shares during the quarter. Marriott International comprises 24.1% of Family Office Research LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its largest holding. Family Office Research LLC owned 0.08% of Marriott International worth $49,445,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,236,478 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,820,329,000 after buying an additional 184,387 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 16.4% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,427,410 shares of the company's stock worth $1,292,809,000 after purchasing an additional 766,309 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 18.9% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,123,836 shares of the company's stock worth $982,298,000 after purchasing an additional 654,766 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,514,831 shares of the company's stock worth $360,833,000 after purchasing an additional 37,212 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fundsmith Investment Services LTD. lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. Fundsmith Investment Services LTD. now owns 1,504,980 shares of the company's stock worth $419,799,000 after purchasing an additional 78,770 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Marriott International Stock Down 1.5%

NASDAQ:MAR traded down $4.15 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $264.70. The company had a trading volume of 1,378,627 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,093,302. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $270.18 and a two-hundred day moving average of $257.93. Marriott International, Inc. has a one year low of $205.40 and a one year high of $307.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $71.86 billion, a PE ratio of 29.84, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.38.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting 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%.The business's revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business 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, sell-side analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

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

Marriott International announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Thursday, August 7th that allows the company to buyback 25,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAR has been the subject of several analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on Marriott International from $285.00 to $280.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 6th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price target for the stock from $226.00 to $303.00 in a report on Monday, May 12th. Dbs Bank upgraded Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on Marriott International in a report on Monday, June 23rd. They set a "neutral" rating and a $284.00 price target for the company. Finally, UBS Group cut their price target on Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marriott International currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $281.26.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.28, for a total transaction of $670,700.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 5,706 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,530,805.68. This represents a 30.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

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.