T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. Buys 9,541 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Marriott International by 32.1% in the first quarter, holding a total of 39,284 shares valued at approximately $9.36 million as of its latest SEC filing.
• Marriott's recent earnings report showed earnings per share of $2.65, matching analysts' expectations, with revenues of $6.74 billion, a 4.7% increase year-over-year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.67 to be paid on September 30th, representing an annualized yield of 1.0% and authorized a share buyback program for up to 25 million shares.

T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 32.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 39,284 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,541 shares during the period. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc.'s holdings in Marriott International were worth $9,358,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. GDS Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the first quarter valued at about $202,000. Capital Analysts LLC lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 17.5% during the first quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 2,072 shares of the company's stock valued at $494,000 after purchasing an additional 308 shares in the last quarter. Carmignac Gestion lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 22.0% during the first quarter. Carmignac Gestion now owns 12,200 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,906,000 after purchasing an additional 2,197 shares in the last quarter. ZEGA Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the first quarter valued at about $408,000. Finally, Credit Agricole S A lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 3.4% during the first quarter. Credit Agricole S A now owns 28,461 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,779,000 after purchasing an additional 942 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In related news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 approximately $32,741,281.30. The trade was a 8.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.28, for a total transaction of $670,700.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 5,706 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,530,805.68. The trade was a 30.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on MAR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Monday, June 23rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $284.00 price objective on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $226.00 to $303.00 in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 20th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective 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. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marriott International currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $281.00.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR traded up $1.82 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $269.67. The company's stock had a trading volume of 907,333 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,460,724. The company has a market cap of $73.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.40, a PEG ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 1.44. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $269.99 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $259.42. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $205.40 and a 52-week high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.65. The company had revenue of $6.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.66 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.60% and a negative return on equity of 93.44%. Marriott International's revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.50 earnings per share. Marriott International has set its FY 2025 guidance at 9.850-10.080 EPS. Q3 2025 guidance at 2.310-2.390 EPS. Research analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

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

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

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

Marriott International Company Profile

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.