KBC Group NV Sells 1,629 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

KBC Group NV cut its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 3.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 42,343 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,629 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $13,849,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAR. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at $812,570,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Marriott International by 32,607.0% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 490,605 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,046,000 after purchasing an additional 489,105 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its position in Marriott International by 37.9% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,363,845 shares of the company’s stock valued at $423,119,000 after purchasing an additional 374,497 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 7.1% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 4,107,531 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,274,475,000 after purchasing an additional 272,250 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi increased its stake in shares of Marriott International by 52.0% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 741,408 shares of the company’s stock valued at $201,618,000 after buying an additional 253,696 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Marriott International

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

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target on Marriott International (MAR) to $420 and reiterated a Buy rating, signaling stronger upside expectations. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan Chase increased its target to $400, implying further upside even though it kept a Neutral rating. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Marriott announced new growth-oriented initiatives and market expansion, including branded apartment rentals in Cleveland and new hotel openings in Canada and the Philippines, which support its long-term network growth.
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays lifted its price target to $379 but maintained an Equal Weight rating, indicating a more balanced outlook on the shares. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Marriott Philippines launched its first wedding campaign, and Marriott also rolled out a new points partnership with Japan Airlines; these items are positive brand and loyalty developments but are unlikely to move the stock meaningfully on their own.
• Negative Sentiment: Some headlines highlight Marriott’s efforts to attract younger travelers and keep demand strong, which suggests ongoing competition for consumer attention in a discretionary travel market.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on MAR shares. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $376.00 to $379.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Marriott International in a report on Monday, May 11th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Marriott International from $352.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Marriott International from $353.00 to $380.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Mizuho raised their price objective on Marriott International from $343.00 to $384.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $388.59.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other news, EVP Peggy Roe sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $361.56, for a total transaction of $1,084,680.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 19,827 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,168,650.12. This represents a 13.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 11.43% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Marriott International Stock Performance

MAR stock opened at $367.81 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $377.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $351.23. The company has a market cap of $96.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 1.11. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $253.76 and a fifty-two week high of $410.98.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.56 by $0.16. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.72% and a negative return on equity of 80.97%. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.59 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.32 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. Marriott International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.380-11.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.990-3.060 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 11.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 22nd were issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. This is a positive change from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 22nd. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.64%.

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.