HighTower Advisors LLC Sells 1,595 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors LLC reduced its stake in Marriott International by 1.6%, now holding 95,470 shares valued at approximately $22.74 million.
• CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of Marriott at an average price of $263.90, representing an 8.82% decrease in his ownership.
• Analysts have mixed ratings on Marriott, with twelve assigning a hold rating, while others like Melius Research have labeled it a strong buy.

HighTower Advisors LLC decreased its position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 1.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 95,470 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,595 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC's holdings in Marriott International were worth $22,741,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MAR. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. bought a new position in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda acquired a new stake in Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Morse Asset Management Inc bought a new position in shares of Marriott International in the first quarter worth about $30,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 46.7% in the first quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 157 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, 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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,706 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,530,805.68. The trade was a 30.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.90, for a total value of $3,166,800.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 124,067 shares in the company, valued at $32,741,281.30. This trade represents a 8.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 10.68% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Marriott International Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of MAR traded down $2.93 on Wednesday, reaching $263.85. The stock had a trading volume of 471,461 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,694,700. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $268.99 and a 200 day moving average of $260.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $71.62 billion, a PE ratio of 29.73, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.44. Marriott International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $205.40 and a twelve month high of $307.52.

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. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 93.44% and a net margin of 9.60%.The business had revenue of $6.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.66 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.50 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter 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. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Thursday, August 7th that permits the company to repurchase 25,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

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 paid a dividend of $0.67 per share. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.21%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on Marriott International from $285.00 to $280.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 6th. Dbs Bank upgraded shares of Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. 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. UBS Group lowered their price target on Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on Marriott International from $283.00 to $236.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $281.00.

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.