Dougherty & Associates LLC Takes Position in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• Dougherty & Associates LLC opened a new position in Marriott International during the fourth quarter, buying 6,845 shares worth about $2.12 million. The stake now makes up roughly 1.9% of the firm’s portfolio.
• Several other institutions also increased their Marriott holdings, and hedge funds and other institutional investors now own about 70.7% of the company’s stock. This suggests continued strong institutional interest in MAR.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on Marriott, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $376.13. The company also recently raised its quarterly dividend to $0.73 per share from $0.67.

Dougherty & Associates LLC acquired a new stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 6,845 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,124,000. Marriott International accounts for about 1.9% of Dougherty & Associates LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MAR. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,887 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,479,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 39.1% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 5,805 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,383,000 after purchasing an additional 1,631 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 39.6% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 19,332 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,605,000 after purchasing an additional 5,480 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 21.8% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,035 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,438,000 after purchasing an additional 1,079 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 3.8% in 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 during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MAR. Susquehanna upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $280.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $400.00 to $402.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Marriott International to $446.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased 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, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $350.00 to $353.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Eight research 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 has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $376.13.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 6,333 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.61, for a total value of $2,258,411.13. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 9,492 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,384,942.12. This trade represents a 40.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider William P. Brown sold 9,456 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $358.25, for a total transaction of $3,387,612.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 11,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,940,750. The trade was a 46.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 93,028 shares of company stock valued at $33,377,271. 11.43% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR stock opened at $353.17 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $93.13 billion, a PE ratio of 37.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a 50-day moving average of $343.48 and a two-hundred day moving average of $323.38. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $253.55 and a 1-year high of $380.00.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.72 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 analyst estimates of $6.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.32 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter 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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 11.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 22nd. This is a positive change from Marriott International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Marriott International's payout ratio is 30.64%.

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.

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