Headlands Technologies LLC Acquires 3,787 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Key Points

• Headlands Technologies LLC significantly increased its stake in Marriott International by 243.4% in Q1, holding shares worth approximately $1.27 million.
• CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares for $3.17 million, reducing his stake in the company by 8.82%.
• Marriott International plans a stock buyback program for up to 25 million shares, indicating the management's belief that the stock is undervalued.

Headlands Technologies LLC increased its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 243.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,343 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 3,787 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC's holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,273,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. 4J Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Marriott International by 3.6% during the first quarter. 4J Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,224 shares of the company's stock worth $292,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions LLC grew its position in Marriott International by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions LLC now owns 2,019 shares of the company's stock worth $587,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. grew its position in Marriott International by 6.6% in the first quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 758 shares of the company's stock worth $180,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its position in Marriott International by 46.7% in the first quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 157 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton grew its position in Marriott International by 3.4% in the first quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 1,529 shares of the company's stock worth $364,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MAR has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Dbs Bank upgraded shares of Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $275.00 to $267.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. BMO Capital Markets lowered 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 research report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $245.00 price objective (down from $313.00) on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on shares of Marriott International from $295.00 to $240.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $280.89.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Marriott International stock traded down $0.67 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $259.92. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,353,626 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,544,380. The company has a market capitalization of $70.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.44. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $205.40 and a 12 month high of $307.52. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $268.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is $261.48.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $2.65. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.60% and a negative return on equity of 93.44%. The company had revenue of $6.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.66 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.50 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

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

Marriott International announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Thursday, August 7th that allows the company to buyback 25,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.21, for a total transaction of $270,210.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,724 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,599,832.04. The trade was a 4.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 5,706 shares in the company, valued at $1,530,805.68. The trade was a 30.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 15,500 shares of company stock worth $4,107,710. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.