Baird Financial Group Inc. Buys 15,051 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in Marriott International by 32.2%, owning 61,726 shares worth approximately $14.7 million after acquiring 15,051 additional shares in the first quarter.
• Marriott received multiple analyst upgrades, including a boost in target price from Jefferies Financial Group from $226 to $303, contributing to an average price target of $281.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.67, reflecting a 1.0% yield, and approved a share repurchase plan for up to 25 million shares, indicating confidence in its stock value.

Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 32.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 61,726 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 15,051 shares during the quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Marriott International were worth $14,703,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake 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 buying an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. boosted its stake in Marriott International by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 5,540 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,546,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. boosted its stake in Marriott International by 35.3% in the 4th quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 91,056 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,399,000 after buying an additional 23,745 shares in the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC bought a new position in Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at $3,036,000. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors raised its position in Marriott International by 3.4% in the 4th quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 58,888 shares of the company's stock valued at $16,426,000 after purchasing an additional 1,949 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Marriott International Stock Down 1.5%

NASDAQ MAR traded down $4.15 on Friday, reaching $264.70. The company had a trading volume of 1,378,627 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,092,052. The stock's 50 day moving average is $270.18 and its 200-day moving average is $258.14. The stock has a market cap of $71.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.84, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.38. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $205.40 and a 52 week high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) 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 firm had revenue of $6.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.66 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.50 earnings per share. The company's 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. As a group, analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

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

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 shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Marriott International in a research report on Monday, June 23rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $284.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group cut their price objective on Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. Dbs Bank upgraded Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Marriott International from $273.00 to $278.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded 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 report on Monday, May 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marriott International presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $281.26.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In other news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 of the company's stock, valued at $1,530,805.68. This represents a 30.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

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.