Seneca House Advisors Boosts Stock Position in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Key Points

• Seneca House Advisors increased its Marriott International stake by 33.6% in the fourth quarter, buying 3,177 more shares and bringing its total holding to 12,640 shares worth about $3.92 million.
• Marriott reported earnings per share of $2.72, beating analyst estimates, and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.73 per share from $0.67, implying a 0.7% annual yield.
• Analysts remain broadly constructive on the stock, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $384.73; recent news also included a higher UBS target and Marriott’s launch of an AI travel-planning tool, though hotel owners are pressuring the company over Bonvoy program costs.

Seneca House Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 33.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,640 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 3,177 shares during the quarter. Marriott International accounts for 1.5% of Seneca House Advisors' portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Seneca House Advisors' holdings in Marriott International were worth $3,922,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Legal & General Group Plc raised its position in Marriott International by 9.3% during the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,465,420 shares of the company's stock valued at $381,654,000 after purchasing an additional 124,759 shares in the last quarter. Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ raised its position in Marriott International by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter. Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ now owns 73,759 shares of the company's stock valued at $19,210,000 after purchasing an additional 4,067 shares in the last quarter. FMB Wealth Management bought a new stake in Marriott International during the 4th quarter valued at $1,762,000. Natixis Advisors LLC raised its position in Marriott International by 12.0% during the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 386,638 shares of the company's stock valued at $100,696,000 after purchasing an additional 41,547 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Sarl raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 25.8% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Sarl now owns 41,237 shares of the company's stock worth $10,740,000 after acquiring an additional 8,448 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR stock opened at $399.10 on Wednesday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $253.76 and a 1-year high of $410.98. The stock's fifty 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 price-to-earnings ratio of 41.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 1.10.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last announced its 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 negative return on equity of 80.97% and a net margin of 9.72%.The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.59 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.32 EPS. 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. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 11.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. This is a positive change from Marriott International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.64%.

Marriott International News Roundup

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

MAR has been the subject of several recent research reports. Susquehanna boosted their price target on Marriott International from $280.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. 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 research report on Thursday, May 7th. Mizuho boosted their price target on Marriott International from $343.00 to $384.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Marriott International from $350.00 to $353.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Marriott International has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $384.73.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Peggy Roe sold 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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. The trade was a 13.14% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 11.43% of the stock is currently 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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