KBC Group NV Reduces Position in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

KBC Group NV lowered its position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 5.6% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 41,424 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,460 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $11,318,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Marriott International by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,236,478 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,820,329,000 after purchasing an additional 184,387 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 16.4% during the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,427,410 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,292,809,000 after buying an additional 766,309 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 18.9% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,123,836 shares of the company’s stock worth $982,298,000 after buying an additional 654,766 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its position in Marriott International by 194.7% in the 1st quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,709,665 shares of the company’s stock valued at $407,242,000 after acquiring an additional 1,129,555 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Marriott International by 2.5% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,514,831 shares of the company’s stock valued at $360,833,000 after acquiring an additional 37,212 shares during the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In related news, insider William P. Brown sold 6,666 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.04, for a total value of $1,866,746.64. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 11,000 shares in the company, valued at $3,080,440. This trade represents a 37.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Deborah Marriott Harrison sold 70,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $291.63, for a total transaction of $20,414,100.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 175,210 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $51,096,492.30. The trade was a 28.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 85,799 shares of company stock valued at $24,911,376 over the last three months. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on MAR. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Marriott International from $302.00 to $296.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $287.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Marriott International from $262.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price objective on Marriott International from $273.00 to $278.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $286.40.

Marriott International Stock Performance

NASDAQ MAR opened at $285.72 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a one year low of $205.40 and a one year high of $307.52. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $268.93 and a 200-day simple moving average of $267.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $76.67 billion, a PE ratio of 30.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.36.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.38 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.46 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 10.07% and a negative return on equity of 89.29%. Marriott International has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.540-2.620 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 9.980-10.060 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Thursday, August 7th that authorizes the company to buyback 25,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 20th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.30%.

About Marriott International

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.