Sterling Capital Management LLC Trims Stake in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Sterling Capital Management LLC lessened its holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 41.7% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 4,318 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,084 shares during the quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $1,412,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in shares of Marriott International by 21.7% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 9,175,377 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,389,635,000 after acquiring an additional 1,637,119 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of Marriott International by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,440,359 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,377,577,000 after purchasing an additional 118,504 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors raised its stake in Marriott International by 7.1% in 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. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Marriott International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $812,570,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in Marriott International by 13.2% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,879,028 shares of the company’s stock worth $582,952,000 after buying an additional 219,579 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of Marriott International stock opened at $374.88 on Tuesday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $253.76 and a 52-week high of $410.98. The company has a fifty day moving average of $374.28 and a 200-day moving average of $344.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $98.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 1.10.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.59 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.32 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter 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, equities research analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 11.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. This is a boost from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.64%.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In related news, EVP Peggy Roe sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 19,827 shares in the company, valued at $7,168,650.12. This trade represents a 13.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 11.43% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $336.00 to $412.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, June 15th. Susquehanna increased their target price on Marriott International from $280.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $412.00 price target on Marriott International in a research note on Monday, June 15th. Mizuho upped their price objective on Marriott International from $343.00 to $384.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Marriott International from $356.00 to $383.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $384.73.

Marriott International Company 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.