Freedom Investment Management Inc. Trims Stock Position in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Freedom Investment Management Inc. lessened its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 10.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,751 shares of the company’s stock after selling 424 shares during the period. Freedom Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,025,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 9.5% in the first quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV now owns 62,995 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,005,000 after purchasing an additional 5,482 shares in the last quarter. Permanens Capital L.P. raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 15.6% in the first quarter. Permanens Capital L.P. now owns 15,396 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,667,000 after buying an additional 2,076 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 3.8% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 219,939 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,389,000 after buying an additional 8,149 shares during the last quarter. Swedbank AB raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 1.3% in the first quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 68,429 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,300,000 after buying an additional 881 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 11.9% in the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 13,441 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,202,000 after buying an additional 1,432 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Stock Down 0.9%

MAR opened at $269.70 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $205.40 and a 52-week high of $307.52. The company has a 50 day moving average of $265.74 and a two-hundred day moving average of $261.01. The company has a market cap of $73.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.35.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.65. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.60% and a negative return on equity of 93.44%. The company had revenue of $6.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.66 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.50 earnings per share. Marriott International’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. Marriott International has set its FY 2025 guidance at 9.850-10.080 EPS. Q3 2025 guidance at 2.310-2.390 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

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

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 21st were paid a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 21st. Marriott International’s payout ratio is currently 30.21%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAR has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $276.00 to $262.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $287.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Morgan Stanley dropped 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. Finally, BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $285.00 to $280.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $283.17.

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.