Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Grows Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 7.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 4,921,767 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 330,952 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned approximately 1.81% of Marriott International worth $1,281,825,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MAR. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Marriott International during the 2nd quarter valued at about $638,968,000. Boston Partners acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the second quarter valued at approximately $196,579,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Marriott International by 27,221.0% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 315,558 shares of the company’s stock worth $86,214,000 after buying an additional 314,403 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Marriott International by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,543,195 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,612,606,000 after buying an additional 306,717 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 188.4% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 317,600 shares of the company’s stock worth $86,771,000 after acquiring an additional 207,486 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

More Marriott International News

Here are the key news stories impacting Marriott International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Signed / planned five-hotel expansion in Saudi Arabia — Marriott is increasing its footprint in Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah, tapping Saudi tourism growth tied to Vision 2030 and major religious/visitor flows; this supports long‑term unit growth and fee-based revenue. Marriott Signs Deal for Five New Hotels in Saudi Arabia Five new Marriott hotels planned for Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target to $345 (from $285) — a material lift that signals bullish analyst conviction and could support buying interest given the implied upside. Citigroup raises price target
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley boosted its target to $328 and moved to an “overweight” rating — another institutional endorsement that may attract momentum buyers. Morgan Stanley raises price target
• Neutral Sentiment: The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island launched seven new signature experiences as part of a brand-wide initiative — positive for luxury guest engagement but likely a modest, localized revenue driver. THE RITZ-CARLTON, AMELIA ISLAND INTRODUCES NEW SIGNATURE EXPERIENCES
• Neutral Sentiment: Media piece notes Marriott (and peers) are trading near record highs and compares relative value across hotel stocks — may temper fresh inflows if investors rotate to cheaper alternatives. Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt are near record highs
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays raised its target to $320 but kept an “equal weight” rating — the new target implies slight downside versus current levels, which could apply selling pressure among risk‑averse holders. Barclays raises price target TickerReport: Barclays note

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MAR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Barclays lifted their target price on Marriott International from $276.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Marriott International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $288.00 to $345.00 in a report on Monday, December 15th. Truist Financial increased their target price on Marriott International from $278.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target 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, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Marriott International from $296.00 to $328.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $312.50.

Marriott International Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of MAR opened at $325.88 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $304.94 and its 200-day simple moving average is $281.15. The firm has a market cap of $87.45 billion, a PE ratio of 34.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.16. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $205.40 and a 12-month high of $331.09.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $2.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.38 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.46 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 10.07% and a negative return on equity of 89.29%. 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, equities research analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In related news, CAO Felitia Lee sold 1,617 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,893 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,497,160.14. This trade represents a 24.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 18,225 shares in the company, valued at $5,214,172.50. This represents a 8.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 88,289 shares of company stock valued at $25,669,425. Corporate insiders own 10.68% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Profile

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.