Bridgewater Advisors Inc. Lowers Stock Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Bridgewater Advisors Inc. cut its stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 8.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 47,622 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,392 shares during the period. Marriott International makes up 0.9% of Bridgewater Advisors Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. Bridgewater Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Marriott International were worth $13,260,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. AlphaQuest LLC grew its position in Marriott International by 2,750.0% in the 2nd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 114 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Addison Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the second quarter valued at about $34,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marriott International during the second quarter worth about $37,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. acquired a new stake in Marriott International in the second quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Marriott International by 198.0% during the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 149 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $11.32–$11.57 and Q1 guidance of $2.50–$2.55, which supports earnings visibility and helped trigger analyst target increases. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and bullish writeups are drawing attention — Zacks ran pieces framing MAR as a momentum/consumer discretionary buy as inflation cools and travel demand strengthens. These stories can attract retail and momentum flows. Read More. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared — a $0.67 quarterly dividend (ex‑dividend Feb 26, payable Mar 31) signals cash‑return discipline, modestly supportive for income‑oriented investors. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results were mixed: revenue (~$6.69B) slightly beat estimates and was +4.1% y/y, but EPS missed by $0.03 and margins/ROE metrics drew attention — the print underpins guidance but tempers enthusiasm. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing/loyalty activation: Marriott Bonvoy launched a 1‑Point Drop festival experience program — positive for engagement but unlikely to move near‑term revenue materially. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling disclosed — David S. Marriott sold 4,747 shares at ~$360 (Feb 17) and EVP Rena Hozore Reiss sold 2,512 shares at ~$357. Multiple filings, even at small ownership percentages, can spook investors and add downward pressure. Read More. Read More.

Marriott International Stock Down 1.7%

Shares of Marriott International stock opened at $349.89 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $92.71 billion, a PE ratio of 36.87, a P/E/G ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 1.13. Marriott International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $205.40 and a fifty-two week high of $370.00. The business’s fifty day moving average is $323.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $290.70.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.61 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.67 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.93% and a negative return on equity of 84.23%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company 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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other news, EVP Drew Pinto sold 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $359.81, for a total transaction of $1,439,240.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,221 shares in the company, valued at $2,957,998.01. This represents a 32.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Rajeev Menon sold 6,333 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the insider directly 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 position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 94,538 shares of company stock worth $33,795,936. 10.68% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on MAR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Marriott International from $323.00 to $356.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. BMO Capital Markets raised Marriott International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their target price for the company from $285.00 to $370.00 in a report on Friday, January 9th. Evercore upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $320.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $283.00 to $350.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $296.00 to $328.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $343.27.

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.