First Trust Advisors LP Purchases 71,425 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 115.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 133,155 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 71,425 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $43,551,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Marriott International by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,887 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,479,000 after buying an additional 218 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in Marriott International by 39.1% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 5,805 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,383,000 after acquiring an additional 1,631 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP boosted its stake in Marriott International by 39.6% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 19,332 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,605,000 after acquiring an additional 5,480 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Marriott International by 21.8% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,035 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,438,000 after purchasing an additional 1,079 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in shares of Marriott International by 3.8% during the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 137,329 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,520,000 after purchasing an additional 5,007 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Stock Up 2.3%

Shares of MAR opened at $383.06 on Tuesday. Marriott International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $253.76 and a twelve month high of $410.98. The company has a market capitalization of $101.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.11. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $378.62 and a 200 day moving average of $352.88.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.56 by $0.16. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 80.97% and a net margin of 9.72%.The business had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.32 EPS. The firm’s quarterly 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. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 11.66 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on MAR shares. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Marriott International from $446.00 to $449.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $412.00 price objective on Marriott International in a research report on Monday, June 15th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Marriott International from $353.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Truist Financial increased their target price on Marriott International from $350.00 to $356.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Marriott International from $388.00 to $386.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $388.59.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

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

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.