Polaris Financial Partners Acquires New Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• Polaris Financial Partners acquired 6,256 Marriott shares worth approximately $2.24 million in the third quarter, making MAR about 1% of its portfolio. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 70.7% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with Marriott receiving a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $385.88. Ratings include two Strong Buys, ten Buys and ten Holds.
• Marriott reported quarterly EPS of $3.19, exceeding estimates by $0.11, while revenue increased 4.8% year over year. The company also declared a $0.73 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 0.8% yield.

Polaris Financial Partners bought a new stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 6,256 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,242,000. Marriott International comprises about 1.0% of Polaris Financial Partners' investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CX Institutional grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 1.1% in the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 3,348 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,191,000 after buying an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Private Client Services LLC boosted its holdings in Marriott International by 17.9% during the 3rd quarter. Private Client Services LLC now owns 757 shares of the company's stock valued at $269,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the period. Burkett Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in Marriott International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $47,000. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its stake in Marriott International by 21.7% during the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 2,608 shares of the company's stock worth $967,000 after purchasing an additional 465 shares during the period. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 29.6% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 172,448 shares of the company's stock worth $63,907,000 after purchasing an additional 39,370 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on MAR. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Marriott International in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. They issued an "outperform" rating for the company. Erste Group Bank assumed coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Marriott International from $353.00 to $380.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Marriott International from $387.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Marriott International from $449.00 to $425.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marriott International presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $385.88.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Deborah Harrison sold 3,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, September 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $352.09, for a total value of $1,232,315.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 282,383 shares of the company's stock, valued at $99,424,230.47. The trade was a 1.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider David S. Marriott sold 3,500 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the insider owned 282,383 shares in the company, valued at $99,424,230.47. This trade represents a 1.22% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 11.43% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR traded up $4.17 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $358.96. The stock had a trading volume of 876,960 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,572,608. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $351.45 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $359.23. The company has a market cap of $93.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.20, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.17. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $256.76 and a 1-year high of $410.98.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $3.19 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.08 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $2.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.19 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 75.81% and a net margin of 9.62%.Marriott International's revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.65 earnings per share. Marriott International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.640-11.810 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.740-2.820 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 11.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th were paid a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 20th. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio is currently 30.26%.

About Marriott International

Marriott International, Inc NASDAQ: MAR is a global hospitality company that operates, franchises, licenses and manages hotels, resorts, residences and other lodging properties. Its portfolio serves business and leisure travelers across a range of price points, from luxury and premium accommodations to select-service and extended-stay properties.

The company's brands include The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, JW Marriott, W Hotels, The Luxury Collection, EDITION, Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Renaissance, Courtyard, Residence Inn, Fairfield by Marriott, SpringHill Suites, AC Hotels, Aloft, Moxy and Element.

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