Rafferty Asset Management LLC Raises Stock Position in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• Rafferty Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Marriott International by 4.3%, acquiring an additional 2,910 shares for a total of 70,713 shares worth approximately $16.84 million.
• Marriott International reported a net revenue of $6.74 billion and earnings per share of $2.65 for the recent quarter, aligning with consensus estimates.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.67 per share, with a dividend yield of 1.0%, scheduled for payment on September 30th.

Rafferty Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 4.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 70,713 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 2,910 shares during the period. Rafferty Asset Management LLC's holdings in Marriott International were worth $16,844,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Morse Asset Management Inc purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the first quarter worth $30,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 46.7% during the first quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 157 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MAR has been the subject of several recent research reports. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Dbs Bank raised shares of Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Marriott International in a report on Monday, June 23rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $284.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $280.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $226.00 to $303.00 in a report on Monday, May 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $281.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.28, for a total transaction of $670,700.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,706 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,530,805.68. The trade was a 30.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

Marriott International Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NASDAQ MAR traded down $2.39 during trading on Friday, hitting $267.86. The company had a trading volume of 858,948 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,375,608. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $270.40 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $258.83. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $205.40 and a fifty-two week high of $307.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $72.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 1.44.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.65. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.60% and a negative return on equity of 93.44%. The business had revenue of $6.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.66 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.50 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter 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. On average, analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 21st will be given 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 presently 30.21%.

Marriott International declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Thursday, August 7th that allows the company to buyback 25,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

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.