Quarry LP Increases Stake in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• Quarry LP increased its stake in Marriott International by 426.0%, owning a total of 3,924 shares valued at $935,000 as of the latest SEC filing.
• Marriott International has a market capitalization of $72.71 billion and reported a quarterly revenue of $6.74 billion, exceeding analysts' expectations.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.67 per share and initiated a stock buyback plan authorizing the repurchase of 25 million shares.

Quarry LP lifted its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 426.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,924 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 3,178 shares during the period. Quarry LP's holdings in Marriott International were worth $935,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Marriott International by 11.9% in the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 13,441 shares of the company's stock worth $3,202,000 after acquiring an additional 1,432 shares during the period. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 1st quarter worth about $2,244,000. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Marriott International in the first quarter worth about $974,000. Vista Investment Partners II LLC lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 22.5% in the first quarter. Vista Investment Partners II LLC now owns 7,199 shares of the company's stock worth $1,715,000 after buying an additional 1,322 shares during the period. Finally, Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 5.0% in the first quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 27,087 shares of the company's stock worth $6,452,000 after buying an additional 1,301 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.28, for a total transaction of $670,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 5,706 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,530,805.68. This represents a 30.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on MAR. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their target price for the company from $226.00 to $303.00 in a research note on Monday, May 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Marriott International in a research report on Monday, June 23rd. They set a "neutral" rating and a $284.00 price objective for the company. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Marriott International from $293.00 to $285.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $287.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 20th. Finally, Dbs Bank upgraded shares of Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. Two research 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $281.00.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of MAR stock traded down $3.38 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $264.48. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,422,983 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,190,844. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $205.40 and a 52-week high of $307.52. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $270.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $258.56. The stock has a market cap of $71.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.82, a PEG ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 1.38.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last issued its 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 negative return on equity of 93.44% and a net margin of 9.60%.The business had revenue of $6.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.66 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.50 EPS. Marriott International's revenue 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. Equities research analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International announced that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Thursday, August 7th that allows the company to buyback 25,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally a sign that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.67 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 21st. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Marriott International's payout ratio is currently 30.21%.

About Marriott International

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.