Marriott International, Inc. $MAR Stake Raised by Rakuten Investment Management Inc.

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 9.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 61,243 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,061 shares during the quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $22,147,000 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. Kintegral Advisory LLC raised its position in Marriott International by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Kintegral Advisory LLC now owns 4,731 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,683,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Marriott International by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 5,366 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,909,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the period. World Equity Group Inc. grew its holdings in Marriott International by 2.0% in the second quarter. World Equity Group Inc. now owns 1,437 shares of the company’s stock worth $533,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Founders Financial Securities LLC increased its position in Marriott International by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC now owns 3,493 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,242,000 after buying an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 1.2% during the first quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 2,472 shares of the company’s stock valued at $808,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. CICC Research started coverage on shares of Marriott International in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $410.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $412.00 to $395.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on Marriott International from $379.00 to $372.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $395.00 to $414.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price target on Marriott International from $356.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $393.04.

Marriott International Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of MAR stock opened at $416.38 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $362.52 and a 200 day moving average of $356.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $108.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.55, a PEG ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 1.15. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $263.51 and a 52 week high of $433.30.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The company reported $3.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $7 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.93 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 73.98% and a net margin of 9.68%. The business’s revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.47 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 12.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th were paid a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 20th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.26%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Deborah Harrison sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $352.09, for a total value of $1,232,315.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 282,383 shares in the company, valued at $99,424,230.47. The trade was a 1.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider David Marriott sold 3,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $352.09, for a total transaction of $1,232,315.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 282,383 shares in the company, valued at $99,424,230.47. This represents a 1.22% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 11.43% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

More Marriott International News

Here are the key news stories impacting Marriott International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong results and raised guidance: Marriott reported adjusted EPS of $3.02, topping estimates, while revenue grew 8% to $7.01 billion. Global RevPAR rose 6.5%, and the company raised its full-year adjusted EPS forecast to $12.07–$12.14, above consensus. Article: Marriott’s Earnings Beat Shows Why It’s More Than a Bet on Travel Demand
• Positive Sentiment: Fee growth and expansion add support: Gross fee revenue increased 14%, outpacing RevPAR growth. Marriott also reported a record development pipeline of more than 634,000 rooms, while conversions accounted for over 40% of openings year to date—growth that can expand the brand network without Marriott funding hotel construction. Article: Marriott: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish analyst call: Goldman Sachs raised its price target to $456 and maintained a Buy rating, implying potential upside from the cited share price.
• Neutral Sentiment: Other analyst opinions are more cautious: Barclays raised its target to $409 but kept an Equal Weight rating, while Baird’s $414 target came with a Neutral rating. Freedom Broker downgraded Marriott to Hold while raising its target to $439. These calls suggest analysts see less-consistent upside after the stock’s strong run.
• Neutral Sentiment: Marriott is testing an airline-style upgrade list in its Bonvoy app, a potential loyalty-program enhancement; the near-term financial impact is unclear. Article: Marriott Testing Airline-Style Upgrade List in Bonvoy App
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and regional risks: Shares trade at a high earnings multiple, leaving room for pullbacks if growth disappoints. RevPAR declined in the Middle East and Africa, and was roughly flat in Greater China; debt and interest expense also increased.

About Marriott International

Marriott International, Inc is a global hospitality company that develops, franchises, licenses and manages hotels, resorts, residences and other lodging properties. Its portfolio includes brands such as Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, W Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, JW Marriott, Courtyard, Fairfield by Marriott, Residence Inn and Element. The company also operates Marriott Bonvoy, a travel loyalty program that provides members with benefits and rewards across participating properties and travel experiences.

Marriott traces its origins to 1927, when J.