Wedbush Securities Inc. Trims Stock Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Wedbush Securities Inc. lowered its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 36.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,571 shares of the company’s stock after selling 910 shares during the quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $429,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Marriott International by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,887 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,479,000 after buying an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Marriott International by 40.6% in the first quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. now owns 1,741 shares of the company’s stock worth $415,000 after acquiring an additional 503 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 2.4% during the first quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 6,173 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,470,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares during the last quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC lifted its position in Marriott International by 11.6% during the first quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 971 shares of the company’s stock valued at $231,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. Finally, Apollon Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Marriott International by 6.1% in the first quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,440 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,772,000 after purchasing an additional 427 shares during the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,650 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $286.10, for a total value of $472,065.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 18,225 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,214,172.50. The trade was a 8.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Peggy Roe sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $292.12, for a total value of $584,240.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 17,466 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,102,167.92. The trade was a 10.27% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 10,316 shares of company stock worth $2,923,052. Insiders own 10.68% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MAR shares. Barclays boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $262.00 to $274.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Marriott International from $287.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Marriott International from $302.00 to $296.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Marriott International from $273.00 to $278.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 3rd. Two 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $286.40.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR stock opened at $291.90 on Wednesday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $205.40 and a 1-year high of $307.52. The company has a market cap of $78.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.82, a PEG ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 1.36. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $267.60 and a 200-day simple moving average of $266.43.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly 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. 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. Analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase program on Thursday, August 7th that allows the company to buyback 25,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

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