Marriott International, Inc. $MAR Stock: Candriam S.C.A. Trims Position

Key Points

• Candriam S.C.A. cut its Marriott stake by 4% in the third quarter, selling 4,602 shares and ending the period with 110,606 shares valued at about $39.5 million.
• Institutional investor activity was mixed: several firms increased or initiated positions, and institutional investors collectively own 70.7% of Marriott’s stock.
• Marriott beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, while analysts’ average rating remained “Moderate Buy” with a $399.04 consensus price target; Freedom Broker downgraded the stock to “Hold.”

Candriam S.C.A. reduced its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 110,606 shares of the company's stock after selling 4,602 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A.'s holdings in Marriott International were worth $39,483,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 2.9% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,644,773 shares of the company's stock worth $3,574,256,000 after purchasing an additional 272,044 shares in the last quarter. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the second quarter valued at approximately $81,872,000. William Blair Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Marriott International by 255.5% during the 2nd quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 300,872 shares of the company's stock worth $111,500,000 after buying an additional 216,241 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S increased its stake in Marriott International by 170.4% during the 2nd quarter. Danske Bank A S now owns 326,743 shares of the company's stock worth $121,088,000 after buying an additional 205,886 shares during the period. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $65,604,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Marriott International

Here are the key news stories impacting Marriott International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Marriott declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.73 per share, payable December 31 to shareholders of record November 19. The annualized dividend is $2.92, a modest income-return component for investors. Marriott dividend announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results beat analyst estimates for earnings and revenue; a MarketBeat review noted that fee growth outpaced room revenue, supporting the view that Marriott’s performance is not solely dependent on travel demand. Marriott earnings analysis
• Positive Sentiment: Marriott is entering Laos with a Luxury Collection property, extending its international brand presence and potential fee-generating hotel network. Marriott debuts in Laos
• Positive Sentiment: Recent headlines point to bullish views from Robert W. Baird, Barclays and Goldman Sachs, while Zacks characterized MAR as a strong momentum stock. These indicate favorable analyst and trend sentiment, though the provided reports give no price targets or detailed rationale. Baird view Barclays view Goldman Sachs view Zacks momentum article
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Anthony Capuano sold 63,355 shares for about $26.6 million, reducing his direct stake by 55.47%. EVPs Rena Reiss and Benjamin Breland also sold shares. Multiple insider sales can raise investor concern, although the filings alone do not establish the executives’ reasons. CEO SEC filing Rena Reiss SEC filing Benjamin Breland SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: Freedom Broker downgraded Marriott from “strong buy” to “hold,” tempering the otherwise positive analyst headlines. Freedom Broker ratings

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on MAR. Freedom Broker lowered Marriott International from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on shares of Marriott International from $379.00 to $372.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $384.00 to $374.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Erste Group Bank began coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Finally, Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. They set a "hold" rating for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $399.04.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MAR opened at $416.47 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $280.99 and a 1 year high of $433.30. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $366.29 and its 200 day moving average price is $358.15. The firm has a market cap of $107.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 1.15.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 2nd. The company reported $3.02 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $7 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.93 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 69.94% and a net margin of 9.68%. The firm's revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.47 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 12.10 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.14%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider David S. Marriott sold 3,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $352.09, for a total transaction of $1,232,315.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 282,383 shares in the company, valued at $99,424,230.47. The trade was a 1.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Deborah Harrison sold 3,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $352.09, for a total value of $1,232,315.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 282,383 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $99,424,230.47. The trade was a 1.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 77,824 shares of company stock worth $32,243,110. Company insiders own 11.43% of the company's stock.

Marriott International Profile

Marriott International is a global lodging company that manages, franchises, and licenses hotels, resorts, and other accommodations. Its portfolio spans luxury, premium, select-service, and extended-stay brands, including The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels, Marriott, Sheraton, Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Moxy.

The company traces its origins to a root beer stand opened by J. Willard and Alice Marriott in Washington, DC, in 1927. It entered the lodging business in the 1950s and is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.

Marriott serves travelers in countries and territories around the world and offers the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program.

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