American Century Companies Inc. Acquires 207,486 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 188.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 317,600 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 207,486 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. owned 0.12% of Marriott International worth $86,771,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 194.7% during the first quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,709,665 shares of the company’s stock valued at $407,242,000 after acquiring an additional 1,129,555 shares in the last quarter. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC bought a new stake in Marriott International during the 2nd quarter valued at $266,084,000. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 16.4% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,427,410 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,292,809,000 after buying an additional 766,309 shares during the period. Boston Partners bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 2nd quarter worth $196,579,000. Finally, Nuveen LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the first quarter valued at $166,059,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marriott International Trading Up 2.7%

Shares of MAR opened at $304.12 on Wednesday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $205.40 and a 12 month high of $307.52. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $272.26 and a 200-day moving average price of $269.33. The firm has a market cap of $81.61 billion, a PE ratio of 32.11, a P/E/G ratio of 2.87 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 the consensus estimate of $2.38 by $0.09. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 89.29% and a net margin of 10.07%.The company had revenue of $1.73 billion for 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. As a group, research analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

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

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders 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 yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 20th. Marriott International’s payout ratio is currently 28.30%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, insider William P. Brown sold 6,666 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.04, for a total value of $1,866,746.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 11,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,080,440. This trade represents a 37.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,650 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $286.10, for a total transaction of $472,065.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 18,225 shares in the company, valued at $5,214,172.50. This trade represents a 8.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 85,799 shares of company stock worth $24,911,376 in the last three months. 10.68% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Marriott International in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $329.00 target price on the stock. 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. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of 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 lowered their target price on Marriott International from $287.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Marriott International from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marriott International has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $289.87.

Marriott International Company 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.