ZEGA Investments LLC Acquires 3,984 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

ZEGA Investments LLC lifted its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 233.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 5,692 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 3,984 shares during the quarter. ZEGA Investments LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,482,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MAR. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International during the second quarter valued at about $638,968,000. Kingstone Capital Partners Texas LLC purchased a new stake in Marriott International during the second quarter valued at $266,084,000. Boston Partners bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 2nd quarter worth about $196,579,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Marriott International by 27,221.0% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 315,558 shares of the company’s stock worth $86,214,000 after acquiring an additional 314,403 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,543,195 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,612,606,000 after purchasing an additional 306,717 shares during the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marriott International news, CAO Felitia Lee sold 1,617 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.98, for a total transaction of $494,769.66. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,893 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,497,160.14. This trade represents a 24.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,650 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 18,225 shares in the company, valued at $5,214,172.50. The trade was a 8.30% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 88,289 shares of company stock valued at $25,669,425 in the last 90 days. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Marriott International stock opened at $323.35 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $301.61 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $279.82. The company has a market cap of $86.77 billion, a PE ratio of 34.14, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.16. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $205.40 and a fifty-two week high of $331.09.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $2.47 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.46 billion. Marriott International has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.540-2.620 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 9.980-10.060 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, November 20th were given a dividend of $0.67 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 20th. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Marriott International’s payout ratio is currently 28.30%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target 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. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on Marriott International from $278.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $274.00 to $276.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Marriott International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $288.00 to $345.00 in a report on Monday, December 15th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $306.81.

About Marriott International

Marriott International is a global lodging company that develops, manages and franchises a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities. Its core activities include hotel and resort management, franchise operations, property development and the provision of centralized services such as reservations, marketing and loyalty program management. The company’s brand architecture spans market segments from luxury and premium to select-service and extended-stay, enabling it to serve a wide range of business and leisure travelers as well as corporate and group customers.

The company traces its roots to the hospitality business founded by J.