UniSuper Management Pty Ltd Grows Stake in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• UniSuper Management Pty Ltd increased its stake in Marriott International by 8.3%, acquiring an additional 1,394 shares during the first quarter, raising its total holdings to 18,279 shares valued at approximately $4.35 million.
• Marriott International announced a quarterly dividend of $0.67 per share, with plans to distribute this amount on September 30th to shareholders of record on August 21st.
• The company also initiated a share repurchase program authorizing the buyback of 25 million shares, indicating management's belief that the stock is undervalued.

UniSuper Management Pty Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 8.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,279 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,394 shares during the period. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd's holdings in Marriott International were worth $4,354,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV grew its holdings in Marriott International by 9.5% during the 1st quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV now owns 62,995 shares of the company's stock worth $15,005,000 after acquiring an additional 5,482 shares during the period. Permanens Capital L.P. grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 15.6% in the 1st quarter. Permanens Capital L.P. now owns 15,396 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,667,000 after buying an additional 2,076 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 3.8% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 219,939 shares of the company's stock valued at $52,389,000 after buying an additional 8,149 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 11.9% in the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 13,441 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,202,000 after buying an additional 1,432 shares during the period. Finally, Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 1st quarter valued at about $2,244,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MAR has been the topic of several recent research reports. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of Marriott International from $273.00 to $278.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 3rd. Robert W. Baird raised 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Monday, June 23rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $284.00 price target on the stock. BMO Capital Markets dropped 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. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price target 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. 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 company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marriott International has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $281.26.

Marriott International Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of MAR stock traded down $1.44 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $266.50. 1,051,626 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,651,137. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $205.40 and a 52-week high of $307.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $72.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.05, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.38. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $269.25 and a 200 day simple moving average of $257.88.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates 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 analyst estimates of $6.66 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.50 EPS. Marriott International's revenue 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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm 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 $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 21st. Marriott International's payout ratio is currently 30.21%.

Marriott International declared that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Thursday, August 7th that permits the company to buyback 25,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, 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 value of $670,700.00. Following the completion of 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 10.68% of the company's stock.

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.