Marriott International, Inc. $MAR Shares Bought by Wellington Management Group LLP

Key Points

• Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in Marriott International by 16.4% in Q1, owning approximately 1.98% of the company worth about $1.29 billion.
• Marriott International announced a stock buyback program for up to 25 million shares, signifying management's belief that the stock is undervalued.
• The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.67 per share, with a payout ratio of 30.21% and a projected annualized dividend yield of 1.0%.

Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 16.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 5,427,410 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 766,309 shares during the quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP owned 1.98% of Marriott International worth $1,292,809,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 12.8% during the 1st quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 87,420 shares of the company's stock worth $20,823,000 after buying an additional 9,941 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 34.2% during the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 1,825 shares of the company's stock worth $435,000 after buying an additional 465 shares in the last quarter. Versor Investments LP lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 85.5% during the 1st quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 1,484 shares of the company's stock worth $353,000 after buying an additional 684 shares in the last quarter. Ethos Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,215,000. Finally, Cresset Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 12.7% during the 1st quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 10,120 shares of the company's stock worth $2,411,000 after buying an additional 1,137 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of the 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 124,067 shares in the company, valued at $32,741,281.30. This represents a 8.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of the 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 sale, the insider owned 5,706 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,530,805.68. This represents a 30.47% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 10.68% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on MAR shares. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Marriott International from $293.00 to $285.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Dbs Bank raised shares of Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $226.00 to $303.00 in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $283.00 to $236.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $287.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Two 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $281.00.

Marriott International Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of NASDAQ MAR traded down $3.25 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $263.53. The company had a trading volume of 1,089,935 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,467,277. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $268.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $260.38. The stock has a market cap of $71.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.71, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.44. 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 posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates 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 net margin of 9.60% and a negative return on equity of 93.44%. The company's revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $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 expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International announced that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, August 7th that permits the company to repurchase 25,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared 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 is Thursday, August 21st. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Marriott International's dividend 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.