Marriott International, Inc. $MAR Stake Lessened by Fundsmith Investment Services LTD.

Key Points

• Fundsmith Investment Services cut its Marriott stake by 9.9% in the fourth quarter, but still holds 1.32 million shares worth about $409 million. Marriott remains a major position, making up 7.5% of the fund’s portfolio.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but generally constructive: the stock has a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $384.73. Several firms recently raised targets, including Wells Fargo at $446, while others kept neutral or equal-weight ratings.
• Marriott posted Q1 EPS of $2.72, beat estimates, and raised its full-year and Q2 guidance. The company also boosted its quarterly dividend to $0.73 per share and continues expanding with new properties and an AI-powered travel tool, even as some hotel owners push back on Bonvoy program costs.

Fundsmith Investment Services LTD. lowered its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 9.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,318,251 shares of the company's stock after selling 145,310 shares during the quarter. Marriott International comprises 7.5% of Fundsmith Investment Services LTD.'s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest position. Fundsmith Investment Services LTD. owned approximately 0.50% of Marriott International worth $408,974,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MAR. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in Marriott International by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,887 shares of the company's stock worth $2,479,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in Marriott International by 39.1% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 5,805 shares of the company's stock worth $1,383,000 after purchasing an additional 1,631 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP grew its holdings in Marriott International by 39.6% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 19,332 shares of the company's stock worth $4,605,000 after purchasing an additional 5,480 shares during the period. 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. grew its holdings in Marriott International by 3.8% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 137,329 shares of the company's stock worth $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.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $388.00 to $386.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective 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. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $343.00 to $384.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Wells Fargo & Company upped 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. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $372.00 to $376.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note 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 stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $384.73.

Marriott International News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Marriott International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on Marriott from $336 to $412, signaling continued confidence in the company’s earnings power even while keeping a neutral rating. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Marriott launched “Ask Bonvoy,” a beta AI-powered hotel search and travel-planning tool, which could improve customer engagement and support more direct bookings. MSN
• Positive Sentiment: Marriott continues to expand its brand footprint, including the opening of Europe’s largest Aloft by Marriott in Manchester and the debut of a first Marriott Bonvoy citizenM property in Washington, D.C., both of which reinforce pipeline growth and brand reach. MSN Hospitality & Catering News
• Neutral Sentiment: Marriott’s travel and marketing coverage around Guyana and luxury-group events is supportive of brand awareness, but these items are unlikely to move the stock on their own. Yahoo Finance Manila Times
• Negative Sentiment: Hotel owners representing nearly 1,000 properties are pushing Marriott to revise Bonvoy program rules, arguing the loyalty program is too costly and unfair to owners; this could pressure Marriott’s franchise relationships and margins if tensions escalate. WSJ

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MAR opened at $399.10 on Wednesday. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $368.37 and its 200-day moving average price is $338.66. The company has a market cap of $105.24 billion, a PE ratio of 41.88, a P/E/G ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 1.10. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $253.76 and a 52-week high of $410.98.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.56 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.59 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.72% and a negative return on equity of 80.97%. The business's revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $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, 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. This is a positive change from Marriott International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 22nd. Marriott International's payout ratio is currently 30.64%.

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.

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