North Dakota State Investment Board Invests $2.42 Million in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• North Dakota State Investment Board opened a new position in Marriott International during the fourth quarter, buying 7,808 shares worth about $2.42 million.
• Analysts remain broadly constructive on MAR, with an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $376.13 after several firms raised their targets.
• Marriott reported better-than-expected EPS for the latest quarter and also raised its dividend to $0.73 per share, reflecting continued financial strength and shareholder returns.

North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 7,808 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,422,000.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the third quarter worth $28,000. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the second quarter worth $37,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the third quarter worth $41,000. Finally, IAG Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Marriott International by 468.8% during the third 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 last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on MAR shares. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $400.00 to $402.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $372.00 to $376.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $343.00 to $384.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $350.00 to $353.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $355.00 to $398.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marriott International currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $376.13.

Marriott International Stock Performance

MAR stock opened at $359.18 on Tuesday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $344.00 and its 200 day simple moving average is $324.04. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $253.55 and a 52 week high of $380.00. The company has a market capitalization of $94.71 billion, a PE ratio of 37.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.11.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.32 earnings per share. Marriott International'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. On average, analysts forecast that Marriott International, Inc. will post 11.65 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The company 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 is a positive change from Marriott International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 22nd. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 3,492 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $354.00, for a total transaction of $1,236,168.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 6,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,124,000. This represents a 36.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider William P. Brown sold 9,456 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $358.25, for a total transaction of $3,387,612.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 11,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,940,750. This represents a 46.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 21,281 shares of company stock valued at $7,598,251 over the last quarter. 11.43% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Marriott International 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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