Marriott International, Inc. $MAR Shares Sold by Advisors Asset Management Inc.

Advisors Asset Management Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 15.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,034 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,814 shares during the quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $2,613,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Marriott International by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,887 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,479,000 after buying an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in Marriott International by 39.1% during 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 stake in shares of Marriott International by 39.6% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 19,332 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,605,000 after buying an additional 5,480 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Marriott International by 21.8% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,035 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,438,000 after buying an additional 1,079 shares during the period. Finally, RFG Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 60.9% in the second quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 1,665 shares of the company’s stock valued at $455,000 after acquiring an additional 630 shares during the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Marriott International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded MAR to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), citing improving earnings prospects — a near-term catalyst for bullish sentiment and buying interest. Marriott (MAR) Upgraded to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst upgrade helped push MAR to a new 52‑week high recently, reflecting renewed investor optimism after earnings/guidance and upgrade flow. Marriott Sets New 52-Week High After Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Broader consumer-sentiment improvement (6‑month high) and easing inflation expectations are boosting discretionary stocks, and MAR is highlighted among names seeing upbeat earnings revisions tied to potential rate cuts. Consumer Sentiment Hits 6-Month High
• Positive Sentiment: Regional growth remains a tailwind: Marriott reported record growth in the APEC/Asia‑Pacific regions (India a major contributor to the development pipeline), supporting longer‑term room count and fee revenue growth. Marriott Sees Strong Growth in Asia Pacific
• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.67/share (ex‑dividend Feb 26), providing an income component for shareholders and signaling confidence in cash flow. Marriott Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Brand expansion continues with openings such as the Crystal Cove Barbados Tribute Portfolio all‑inclusive resort — incremental unit growth supports fee-based revenue over time. Marriott Opens Crystal Cove Barbados
• Neutral Sentiment: Management says it is “actively investing” in AI and migrating systems — this should improve operating efficiency and guest experiences over time but is execution‑dependent. Marriott Actively Investing in AI
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results were mixed: revenue modestly beat estimates while EPS slightly missed ($2.58 vs. $2.61); management still provided FY‑2026 EPS guidance (11.320–11.570) and Q1 guidance, which anchors expectations but leaves room for investor reaction. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Some market commentary argues MAR may be extended after the rally (“overstayed in the buy zone”), highlighting valuation risk (elevated P/E and PEG) that could pressure the stock if growth or margin upside disappoints. Marriott Has Overstayed in the Buy Zone

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on MAR shares. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Marriott International from $357.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $355.00 to $398.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on shares of Marriott International from $329.00 to $369.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $353.00 to $403.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their target price on Marriott International from $283.00 to $350.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $343.27.

Marriott International Stock Down 0.3%

NASDAQ:MAR opened at $353.89 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $205.40 and a 52 week high of $370.00. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $318.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $288.32. The company has a market cap of $93.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 1.13.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.61 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.67 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.93% and a negative return on equity of 84.23%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.45 earnings per share. Marriott International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.320-11.570 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.500-2.550 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 26th will be paid a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 26th. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Marriott International’s payout ratio is currently 28.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marriott International news, CAO Felitia Lee sold 1,617 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.98, for a total value of $494,769.66. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,893 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,497,160.14. This represents a 24.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 10.68% 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.