Great Lakes Advisors LLC Sells 6,913 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• Great Lakes Advisors LLC reduced its stake in Marriott International by 17.4%, selling 6,913 shares, now holding 32,923 shares valued at approximately $7.84 million.
• Several institutional investors increased their positions in Marriott, with AllianceBernstein boosting their stake by 194.7% and GAMMA Investing LLC increasing theirs by an astonishing 23,923.3%.
• Marriott International recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.67, representing a 1.0% annual yield, and initiated a share buyback program to repurchase 25 million shares.

Great Lakes Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 17.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 32,923 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,913 shares during the period. Great Lakes Advisors LLC's holdings in Marriott International were worth $7,842,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. CreativeOne Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 1,831 shares of the company's stock valued at $436,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Marriott International by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC now owns 12,824 shares of the company's stock worth $3,055,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. 4J Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Marriott International by 3.6% in the 1st quarter. 4J Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,224 shares of the company's stock worth $292,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. raised its holdings in Marriott International by 3.5% in the 1st quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 1,259 shares of the company's stock worth $300,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Finally, Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions LLC raised its holdings in Marriott International by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions LLC now owns 2,019 shares of the company's stock worth $587,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MAR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Marriott International in a report on Monday, June 23rd. They set a "neutral" rating and a $284.00 price objective on the stock. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $280.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 6th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $273.00 to $278.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marriott International presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $281.26.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marriott International news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.28, for a total value of $670,700.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,706 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,530,805.68. This trade represents a 30.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 10.68% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Marriott International Stock Down 0.5%

NASDAQ:MAR traded down $1.44 on Friday, reaching $266.50. The stock had a trading volume of 1,051,626 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,103,541. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $205.40 and a 1-year high of $307.52. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $268.98 and a 200-day moving average price of $257.80. The company has a market capitalization of $72.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 1.38.

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

Marriott International Announces Dividend

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

Marriott International announced that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Thursday, August 7th that allows the company to buyback 25,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is 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.