Patton Fund Management Inc. Raises Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Patton Fund Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 1,094.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,585 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,866 shares during the quarter. Patton Fund Management Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $2,808,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. McMillan Office Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in Marriott International in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International in the third quarter worth about $28,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

NASDAQ MAR opened at $377.31 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $374.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $343.57. The company has a market cap of $99.49 billion, a PE ratio of 39.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 1.10. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $253.76 and a 1-year high of $410.98.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.72 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.56 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.59 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 80.97% and a net margin of 9.72%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.32 earnings per share. 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, equities research analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 11.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MAR. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on Marriott International from $388.00 to $386.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $412.00 target price on Marriott International in a research note on Monday, June 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Marriott International to $446.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $350.00 to $353.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $372.00 to $376.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $384.73.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

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.