Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co Sells 14,700 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co trimmed its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 27.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 38,636 shares of the company’s stock after selling 14,700 shares during the period. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $14,318,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $812,570,000. World Investment Advisors grew its holdings in Marriott International by 130.8% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 16,014 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,968,000 after acquiring an additional 9,075 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 183.7% during the 4th quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 56,180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,429,000 after acquiring an additional 36,380 shares during the last quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 37.7% in the 1st quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd now owns 12,686 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,149,000 after purchasing an additional 3,476 shares during the period. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its position in shares of Marriott International by 62.7% in the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 640,350 shares of the company’s stock worth $199,069,000 after purchasing an additional 246,681 shares during the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marriott International Stock Performance

MAR stock opened at $356.39 on Monday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $256.76 and a 1-year high of $410.98. The firm has a market cap of $92.94 billion, a PE ratio of 36.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.10. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $370.50 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $358.09.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $3.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.08 by $0.11. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 75.81% and a net margin of 9.62%.The company had revenue of $2.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.65 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Marriott International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.640-11.810 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.740-2.820 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 11.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.26%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on Marriott International from $352.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Barclays reduced their target price on Marriott International from $379.00 to $348.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. China Intl Cap raised Marriott International to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $353.00 to $380.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $412.00 price objective on shares of Marriott International in a report on Monday, June 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $385.65.

Marriott International Profile

Marriott International is a global lodging company that develops, manages and franchises a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities. Its core activities include hotel and resort management, franchise operations, property development and the provision of centralized services such as reservations, marketing and loyalty program management. The company’s brand architecture spans market segments from luxury and premium to select-service and extended-stay, enabling it to serve a wide range of business and leisure travelers as well as corporate and group customers.

The company traces its roots to the hospitality business founded by J.