Bessemer Group Inc. Lowers Stake in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Bessemer Group Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 40.7% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 4,168 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,863 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,139,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 0.4% during the second quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 8,649 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,363,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. CreativeOne Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 2.1% during the first quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 1,831 shares of the company’s stock valued at $436,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 0.3% during the first quarter. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC now owns 12,824 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,055,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Valmark Advisers Inc. lifted its stake in Marriott International by 1.6% in the second quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. now owns 2,462 shares of the company’s stock worth $673,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in Marriott International by 1.7% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,387 shares of the company’s stock worth $569,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of Marriott International stock opened at $260.58 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $70.74 billion, a PE ratio of 29.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $265.66 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $263.05. Marriott International, Inc. has a one year low of $205.40 and a one year high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.65. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.60% and a negative return on equity of 93.44%. The business 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 company posted $2.50 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue 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. On average, equities analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International declared that its board has initiated a stock buyback plan on Thursday, August 7th that authorizes the company to buyback 25,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MAR. Robert W. Baird lowered 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 note on Tuesday, October 21st. Barclays lowered 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 note on Friday, October 3rd. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $302.00 to $296.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $273.00 to $278.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Marriott International currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $283.17.

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.