Russell Investments Group Ltd. Sells 16,790 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• Russell Investments Group Ltd. has reduced its holdings in Marriott International, selling 16,790 shares and now owns 184,421 shares, equivalent to 0.07% of the company valued at approximately $43.9 million.
• Marriott International's stock has seen varied price target adjustments from several analysts, with a consensus average target price of $280.89 and ratings ranging from "strong buy" to "hold."
• The company has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.67 per share and announced a share buyback program authorizing the repurchase of 25 million shares, indicating confidence in the stock's value.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. decreased its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 8.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 184,421 shares of the company's stock after selling 16,790 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.07% of Marriott International worth $43,927,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,887 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,479,000 after buying an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC increased its stake in Marriott International by 13.1% in the 4th quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 1,230 shares of the company's stock valued at $343,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Marriott International by 165.1% during the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 31,922 shares of the company's stock worth $8,904,000 after purchasing an additional 19,879 shares in the last quarter. Farringdon Capital Ltd. acquired a new position in Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $548,000. Finally, GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. acquired a new stake in Marriott International in the fourth quarter valued at $3,690,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In related news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.28, for a total value of $670,700.00. Following the transaction, 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 filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.90, for a total value of $3,166,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 124,067 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,741,281.30. This trade represents a 8.82% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 10.68% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR stock traded up $1.1350 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $267.3950. The stock had a trading volume of 331,842 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,697,284. Marriott International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $205.40 and a twelve month high of $307.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $72.59 billion, a PE ratio of 30.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.44. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $269.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $260.31.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.65. The firm had revenue of $6.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.66 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 93.44% and a net margin of 9.60%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.50 EPS. 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, equities analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Thursday, August 7th that allows the company to repurchase 25,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAR has been the topic of several research reports. UBS Group lowered their target price on Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $280.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 6th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $226.00 to $303.00 in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Mizuho cut their price target on Marriott International from $293.00 to $285.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Melius Research raised Marriott International to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $280.89.

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.