Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC Trims Stock Position in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC reduced its stake in Marriott International by 8.5%, owning 22,170 shares valued at approximately $5.28 million after selling 2,061 shares.
• Marriott International announced a stock buyback program for up to 25 million shares, indicating management believes the stock is undervalued.
• The company reported its latest earnings with an EPS of $2.65, meeting consensus estimates, and its revenue increased by 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year.

Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC cut its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 8.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 22,170 shares of the company's stock after selling 2,061 shares during the quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC's holdings in Marriott International were worth $5,281,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MAR. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 11.9% during the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 13,441 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,202,000 after purchasing an additional 1,432 shares in the last quarter. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the first quarter valued at approximately $2,244,000. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the first quarter valued at approximately $974,000. Vista Investment Partners II LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 22.5% during the first quarter. Vista Investment Partners II LLC now owns 7,199 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,715,000 after purchasing an additional 1,322 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 5.0% during the first quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 27,087 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,452,000 after purchasing an additional 1,301 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marriott International Trading Up 0.2%

NASDAQ:MAR opened at $266.78 on Wednesday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $205.40 and a 12 month high of $307.52. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $268.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $260.36. The company has a market capitalization of $72.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.08, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.44.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, hitting 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.66 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.50 earnings per share. The business'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. Equities analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Thursday, August 7th that allows the company to buyback 25,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 21st will be paid 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 is Thursday, August 21st. Marriott International's payout ratio is presently 30.21%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In related news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.90, for a total transaction of $3,166,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 124,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at $32,741,281.30. This trade represents a 8.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the firm'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 transaction, the insider directly owned 5,706 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,530,805.68. This trade represents a 30.47% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MAR has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Dbs Bank upgraded shares of Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Marriott International from $283.00 to $236.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Marriott International from $265.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $280.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 6th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target 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.

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