FORA Capital LLC Lowers Position in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• FORA Capital LLC has significantly reduced its holdings in Marriott International by 90.8%, selling 11,435 shares and now owning only 1,152 shares valued at $274,000.
• Insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of Marriott stock, resulting in a 30.47% decrease in their position, with remaining shares valued at approximately $1.53 million.
• Marriott International has announced a share buyback plan to repurchase 25 million shares, suggesting management believes the stock may be undervalued.

FORA Capital LLC reduced its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 90.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,152 shares of the company's stock after selling 11,435 shares during the quarter. FORA Capital LLC's holdings in Marriott International were worth $274,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MAR. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 16.4% in the first 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. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 23,923.3% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 731,989 shares of the company's stock worth $174,360,000 after purchasing an additional 728,942 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the first quarter worth approximately $166,059,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 18.9% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,123,836 shares of the company's stock valued at $982,298,000 after acquiring an additional 654,766 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $88,062,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of Marriott International stock traded down $3.38 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $264.48. The company had a trading volume of 1,422,983 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,673,471. Marriott International, Inc. has a one year low of $205.40 and a one year high of $307.52. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $270.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of $258.52. The firm has a market cap of $71.80 billion, a PE ratio of 29.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 1.38.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, hitting 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 analyst estimates of $6.66 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $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, research analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

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

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In related 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 value of $670,700.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 5,706 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,530,805.68. This trade represents 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. Company insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on MAR. Mizuho decreased their price target on Marriott International from $293.00 to $285.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Marriott International in a research report on Monday, June 23rd. They set a "neutral" rating and a $284.00 price target for the company. UBS Group decreased their price target 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. Jefferies Financial Group raised Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price target for the company from $226.00 to $303.00 in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their price objective on Marriott International from $300.00 to $273.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $281.00.

Marriott International 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.