Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) CEO Anthony Capuano Sells 63,355 Shares of Stock

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) CEO Anthony Capuano sold 63,355 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $420.12, for a total value of $26,616,702.60. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 50,867 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,370,244.04. The trade was a 55.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Marriott International Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of MAR opened at $416.47 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $108.60 billion, a PE ratio of 36.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 1.15. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $366.29 and its two-hundred day moving average is $358.15. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $280.99 and a 52-week high of $433.30.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 2nd. The company reported $3.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.18. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 73.98% and a net margin of 9.68%. The business had revenue of $7 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.93 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.47 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 12.10 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marriott International

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 2.9% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,644,773 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,574,256,000 after acquiring an additional 272,044 shares in the last quarter. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new stake in Marriott International in the 2nd quarter valued at $81,872,000. William Blair Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 255.5% in the second quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 300,872 shares of the company’s stock valued at $111,500,000 after acquiring an additional 216,241 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 170.4% during the 2nd quarter. Danske Bank A S now owns 326,743 shares of the company’s stock worth $121,088,000 after buying an additional 205,886 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aberdeen Group plc grew its holdings in Marriott International by 112.9% during the 3rd quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 361,748 shares of the company’s stock worth $128,663,000 after acquiring an additional 191,811 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Key Marriott International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Marriott declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.73 per share, payable December 31 to shareholders of record November 19. The annualized dividend is $2.92, a modest income-return component for investors. Marriott dividend announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results beat analyst estimates for earnings and revenue; a MarketBeat review noted that fee growth outpaced room revenue, supporting the view that Marriott’s performance is not solely dependent on travel demand. Marriott earnings analysis
• Positive Sentiment: Marriott is entering Laos with a Luxury Collection property, extending its international brand presence and potential fee-generating hotel network. Marriott debuts in Laos
• Positive Sentiment: Recent headlines point to bullish views from Robert W. Baird, Barclays and Goldman Sachs, while Zacks characterized MAR as a strong momentum stock. These indicate favorable analyst and trend sentiment, though the provided reports give no price targets or detailed rationale. Baird view Barclays view Goldman Sachs view Zacks momentum article
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Anthony Capuano sold 63,355 shares for about $26.6 million, reducing his direct stake by 55.47%. EVPs Rena Reiss and Benjamin Breland also sold shares. Multiple insider sales can raise investor concern, although the filings alone do not establish the executives’ reasons. CEO SEC filing Rena Reiss SEC filing Benjamin Breland SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: Freedom Broker downgraded Marriott from “strong buy” to “hold,” tempering the otherwise positive analyst headlines. Freedom Broker ratings

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAR has been the topic of a number of research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Marriott International from $406.00 to $456.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $445.00 price target on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Wednesday. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Marriott International from $365.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Marriott International in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Erste Group Bank began coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $399.04.

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, DC, in 1927. It entered the lodging business in the 1950s and is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.

Marriott serves travelers in countries and territories around the world and offers the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program.