South Plains Financial Inc. Trims Stake in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

South Plains Financial Inc. reduced its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 2.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,092 shares of the company’s stock after selling 78 shares during the period. South Plains Financial Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $737,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bernard Wealth Management Corp. acquired a new stake in Marriott International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Morse Asset Management Inc acquired a new stake in Marriott International in the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda acquired a new stake in Marriott International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its holdings in Marriott International by 46.7% in the first quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Finally, Heck Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $38,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marriott International Stock Performance

NASDAQ MAR opened at $273.82 on Monday. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $205.40 and a fifty-two week high of $307.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $74.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.44. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $269.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $259.54.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) 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. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 93.44% and a net margin of 9.60%.The company had revenue of $6.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.66 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.50 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. Marriott International has set its FY 2025 guidance at 9.850-10.080 EPS. Q3 2025 guidance at 2.310-2.390 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Thursday, August 7th that authorizes the company to buyback 25,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 21st will be given a $0.67 dividend. 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 payout ratio is currently 30.21%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marriott International news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 2,500 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.28, for a total value of $670,700.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 5,706 shares in the company, valued at $1,530,805.68. The trade was a 30.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.90, for a total value 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. 10.68% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MAR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Marriott International in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $284.00 price target on the stock. Truist Financial lowered their price target on Marriott International from $300.00 to $273.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 30th. UBS Group lowered their price target on Marriott International from $302.00 to $299.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on 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. Finally, Dbs Bank raised Marriott International from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Marriott International has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $281.00.

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.