Marriott International, Inc. $MAR Stock Purchased by Aberdeen Group plc

Key Points

• Aberdeen Group increased its Marriott stake by 112.9% in the third quarter, adding 191,811 shares to hold 361,748 shares valued at about $128.7 million.
• Marriott reported quarterly EPS of $3.02, beating the $2.84 consensus, while revenue rose 8% year over year to $7 billion. It also announced a $0.73 quarterly dividend.
• Company insiders sold shares worth about $38.6 million over the past three months, including sales by the CEO and an executive vice president. Analysts’ consensus rating is “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $399.04.

Aberdeen Group plc boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 112.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 361,748 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 191,811 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc owned about 0.14% of Marriott International worth $128,663,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAR. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Marriott International by 2.9% in the 2nd 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 during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in Marriott International by 0.8% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 727,472 shares of the company's stock worth $237,893,000 after buying an additional 5,530 shares in the last quarter. Swiss National Bank raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 5.9% in the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 669,398 shares of the company's stock worth $218,940,000 after buying an additional 37,080 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 5.9% in the third quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 664,123 shares of the company's stock worth $236,209,000 after buying an additional 36,765 shares during the period. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 15.3% during the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 470,593 shares of the company's stock valued at $174,311,000 after buying an additional 62,529 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In related news, EVP Rena Reiss sold 4,969 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $423.32, for a total value of $2,103,477.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 38,953 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $16,489,583.96. This trade represents a 11.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 63,355 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $420.12, for a total transaction of $26,616,702.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 50,867 shares in the company, valued at $21,370,244.04. This represents a 55.47% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 92,953 shares of company stock valued at $38,628,659. 11.43% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Marriott International News Summary

Investors following MAR have been watching these news items:

• Positive Sentiment: Marriott agreed to add a 350-room Courtyard hotel in Bengaluru, expanding its footprint in a major South Asian market. The project is a longer-term growth opportunity rather than an immediate earnings driver. Article: Marriott signs agreement for South Asia’s largest Courtyard Hotel in Bengaluru
• Neutral Sentiment: Marriott Bonvoy is offering 25% off stays through May 2027. The extended sale could encourage bookings, but discounting may also weigh on room rates and revenue per available room. Article: Marriott Bonvoy Cyber Week sale
• Negative Sentiment: Two insiders disclosed sales made November 10: CAO Felitia Lee sold 736 shares, and Deborah Harrison sold 11,985 shares. Such sales can raise investor concern, although both retained substantial holdings and the transactions alone do not establish a negative view of the company. Article: Marriott International insider trades

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on MAR shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $388.00 to $406.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Erste Group Bank initiated coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Marriott International in a report on Wednesday, November 4th. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $412.00 to $395.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $406.00 to $456.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $399.04.

Marriott International Stock Down 0.4%

NASDAQ MAR opened at $423.16 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $108.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.04 and a beta of 1.15. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $374.81 and a 200-day moving average price of $360.79. Marriott International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $280.99 and a twelve month high of $433.30.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The company reported $3.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.18. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 69.94% and a net margin of 9.68%. The firm had revenue of $7 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.93 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.47 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 12.10 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Marriott International's payout ratio is 29.14%.

About Marriott International

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, D.C., in 1927. It entered the lodging business in the 1950s and is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.

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