Applied Finance Capital Management LLC Buys 5,671 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Applied Finance Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 104.9% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 11,078 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,671 shares during the period. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $3,437,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in MAR. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in Marriott International during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Marriott International in the 2nd quarter worth $37,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in Marriott International in the 3rd quarter worth $41,000. Finally, IAG Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Marriott International by 468.8% in the 3rd quarter. IAG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 182 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 150 shares during the period. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $400.00 to $402.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Evercore increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $320.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $355.00 to $398.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Marriott International from $356.00 to $383.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Susquehanna raised their target price on shares of Marriott International from $280.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $376.13.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marriott International news, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $358.03, for a total value of $716,060.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 26,399 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,451,633.97. This trade represents a 7.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Drew Pinto sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $359.81, for a total value of $1,439,240.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,221 shares in the company, valued at $2,957,998.01. This trade represents a 32.73% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 93,028 shares of company stock worth $33,377,271 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 11.43% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR stock opened at $353.17 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $343.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $323.01. The company has a market cap of $93.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.06, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.11. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $253.55 and a 1-year high of $380.00.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.32 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 11.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be given a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. This is an increase from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is 28.12%.

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.