Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ Sells 1,940 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB reduced its stake in Marriott International by 2.5%, now holding 75,720 shares worth $18.04 million.
• Marriott's quarterly earnings report met estimates with an EPS of $2.65 and revenue of $6.74 billion, up 4.7% year-over-year.
• The company's board approved a stock repurchase plan to buy back 25 million shares, indicating management's belief in the stock's undervaluation.

Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ cut its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 2.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 75,720 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,940 shares during the period. Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ's holdings in Marriott International were worth $18,037,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MAR. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Morse Asset Management Inc bought a new stake in Marriott International in the first quarter worth $30,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 46.7% during the 1st quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 157 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR traded down $2.39 on Monday, reaching $267.86. 858,948 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,293,741. The firm has a market cap of $72.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.20, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 1.38. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $205.40 and a 12 month high of $307.52. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $270.40 and its 200-day moving average price is $258.63.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting 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 firm had revenue of $6.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.66 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.50 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, equities research analysts forecast 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 repurchase plan on Thursday, August 7th that authorizes the company to repurchase 25,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.67 per share. 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%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,706 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,530,805.68. This represents a 30.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MAR. Truist Financial decreased their target price on Marriott International from $300.00 to $273.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Marriott International in a report on Monday, June 23rd. They set a "neutral" rating and a $284.00 price objective for the company. 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. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $293.00 to $285.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, 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. Two investment 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price 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.