Employees Retirement System of Texas Invests $522,000 in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund purchased 1,911 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $522,000.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. AlphaQuest LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 2,750.0% in the 2nd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 114 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Addison Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Marriott International in the second quarter worth $34,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. bought a new stake in Marriott International during the second quarter valued at $38,000. Quaker Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 203.4% in the 2nd quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 150 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 295 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Marriott International by 198.0% during the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 149 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of MAR opened at $304.65 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a one year low of $205.40 and a one year high of $307.52. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $273.93 and its 200-day moving average is $269.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $81.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 1.36.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced 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 firm had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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. Analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Marriott International Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, insider William P. Brown sold 6,666 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 11,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,080,440. This trade represents a 37.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 5,483 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $287.11, for a total transaction of $1,574,224.13. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 39,360 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,300,649.60. This trade represents a 12.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 86,672 shares of company stock worth $25,174,655 in the last quarter. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on MAR shares. 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 report on Wednesday, November 5th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $273.00 to $278.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 3rd. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Marriott International from $287.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Marriott International from $302.00 to $296.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $289.87.

Marriott International Profile

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.