Headwater Capital Co Ltd Makes New Investment in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Headwater Capital Co Ltd bought a new stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm bought 80,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,857,000. Marriott International makes up approximately 7.6% of Headwater Capital Co Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Marriott International by 1.5% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,543,195 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,612,606,000 after acquiring an additional 306,717 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 16.4% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,427,410 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,292,809,000 after purchasing an additional 766,309 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Marriott International by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,223,539 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,420,308,000 after buying an additional 102,798 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 18.9% in the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,123,836 shares of the company’s stock valued at $982,298,000 after acquiring an additional 654,766 shares during the period. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. raised 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 purchasing an additional 1,129,555 shares during the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MAR has been the topic of several research reports. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $262.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Marriott International from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Marriott International from $302.00 to $296.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on Marriott International from $287.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on Marriott International in a report on Tuesday. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $329.00 target price on the stock. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Marriott International currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $289.87.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider William P. Brown sold 6,666 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.04, for a total transaction of $1,866,746.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 11,000 shares in the company, valued at $3,080,440. The trade was a 37.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Peggy Roe sold 2,000 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $292.12, for a total value of $584,240.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 17,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,102,167.92. This represents a 10.27% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 85,799 shares of company stock worth $24,911,376 in the last three months. Company insiders own 10.68% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR stock opened at $284.20 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $270.04 and its 200 day moving average price is $268.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $76.27 billion, a PE ratio of 30.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.36. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $205.40 and a 1-year high of $307.52.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.38 by $0.09. Marriott International had a net margin of 10.07% and a negative return on equity of 89.29%. The company had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.46 billion. Marriott International has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.540-2.620 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 9.980-10.060 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

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

Marriott International announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, August 7th that permits the company to buyback 25,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

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.