USS Investment Management Ltd Reduces Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• USS Investment Management Ltd reduced its holdings in Marriott International by 0.7%, now owning 822,410 shares, which represents about 1.5% of its investment portfolio.
• Marriott International announced a $0.67 quarterly dividend, with an annualized dividend yield of 1.0%, and a share buyback plan of 25 million shares, indicating confidence in the stock's value.
• Shares of Marriott International have experienced fluctuations, currently trading at $264.70, with a market cap of $71.86 billion and a 52-week range between $205.40 and $307.52.

USS Investment Management Ltd lowered its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 0.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 822,410 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,200 shares during the quarter. Marriott International accounts for about 1.5% of USS Investment Management Ltd's investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position. USS Investment Management Ltd owned approximately 0.30% of Marriott International worth $195,878,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MAR. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in Marriott International by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,887 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,479,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 7.0% in the fourth quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 60,237 shares of the company's stock worth $16,802,000 after purchasing an additional 3,958 shares during the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Marriott International by 15.4% in the fourth quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 1,576 shares of the company's stock worth $440,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. Ethic Inc. lifted its stake in Marriott International by 15.1% in the fourth quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 13,704 shares of the company's stock worth $3,823,000 after acquiring an additional 1,800 shares during the period. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth lifted its stake in Marriott International by 60.0% in the fourth quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 88,864 shares of the company's stock worth $25,836,000 after acquiring an additional 33,321 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 5,706 shares in the company, valued at $1,530,805.68. This trade represents a 30.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Marriott International Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of MAR opened at $264.70 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $71.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.38. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $205.40 and a 52-week high of $307.52. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $270.18 and a 200 day moving average price of $258.14.

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

Marriott International announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan 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. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 21st will be issued a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 21st. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.21%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $273.00 to $278.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday. 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 note on Wednesday, August 6th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $287.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price objective for the company from $226.00 to $303.00 in a report on Monday, May 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Marriott International currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $281.26.

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.

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