20,628 Marriott International, Inc. $MAR Shares Bought by Russell Investments Group Ltd.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 9.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 240,251 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 20,628 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $85,475,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Evelyn Partners Investment Management Services Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. IMG Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Marriott International by 100.0% in the first quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 82 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the period. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC grew its stake in Marriott International by 127.0% in the first quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 84 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the period. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 57.6% during the first quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on MAR shares. Stifel Nicolaus set a $402.00 target price on Marriott International in a report on Monday, November 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $426.00 to $463.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 3rd. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $363.00 to $409.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 3rd. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $410.00 to $395.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Marriott International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $399.04.

Marriott International Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:MAR traded down $1.50 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $423.16. 1,907,906 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,727,323. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $374.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $360.79. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $280.99 and a 12-month high of $433.30. The stock has a market cap of $108.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.23, a P/E/G ratio of 3.04 and a beta of 1.15.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The company reported $3.02 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.84 by $0.18. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 69.94% and a net margin of 9.68%. The business had revenue of $7 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.93 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.47 EPS. Marriott International’s quarterly revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 12.10 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.14%.

Key Headlines Impacting Marriott International

Here are a few of the latest headlines about MAR:

• Positive Sentiment: Marriott agreed to add a 350-room Courtyard hotel in Bengaluru, expanding its footprint in a major South Asian market. The project is a longer-term growth opportunity rather than an immediate earnings driver. Article: Marriott signs agreement for South Asia’s largest Courtyard Hotel in Bengaluru
• Neutral Sentiment: Marriott Bonvoy is offering 25% off stays through May 2027. The extended sale could encourage bookings, but discounting may also weigh on room rates and revenue per available room. Article: Marriott Bonvoy Cyber Week sale
• Negative Sentiment: Two insiders disclosed sales made November 10: CAO Felitia Lee sold 736 shares, and Deborah Harrison sold 11,985 shares. Such sales can raise investor concern, although both retained substantial holdings and the transactions alone do not establish a negative view of the company. Article: Marriott International insider trades

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marriott International news, insider Deborah Harrison sold 11,985 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $421.35, for a total value of $5,049,879.75. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 163,225 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $68,774,853.75. This represents a 6.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CAO Felitia Lee sold 736 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $425.85, for a total transaction of $313,425.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 5,634 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,399,238.90. The trade was a 11.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 92,953 shares of company stock valued at $38,628,659 over the last 90 days. 11.43% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Marriott International Company Profile

Marriott International is a global lodging company that manages, franchises, and licenses hotels, resorts, and other accommodations. Its portfolio spans luxury, premium, select-service, and extended-stay brands, including The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels, Marriott, Sheraton, Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Moxy. The company traces its origins to a root beer stand opened by J. Willard and Alice Marriott in Washington, D.C., in 1927. It entered the lodging business in the 1950s and is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.