Castleark Management LLC Acquires Shares of 24,220 Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Castleark Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm acquired 24,220 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,514,000.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CI Investments Inc. raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 11.3% in the fourth quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 5,171 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,604,000 after purchasing an additional 526 shares during the last quarter. Fiduciary Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 7.1% in the fourth quarter. Fiduciary Group LLC now owns 17,219 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,342,000 after purchasing an additional 1,145 shares during the last quarter. Advocate Investing Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Davis R M Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth $215,000. Finally, Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec raised its stake in shares of Marriott International by 7.9% in the fourth quarter. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec now owns 14,448 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,482,000 after purchasing an additional 1,056 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MAR has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Mizuho boosted their price target on Marriott International from $343.00 to $384.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on Marriott International from $350.00 to $356.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. 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 note on Tuesday, May 12th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Marriott International to $446.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $382.07.

Marriott International Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MAR opened at $402.54 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $365.65 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $337.03. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $253.55 and a 52-week high of $403.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $106.15 billion, a PE ratio of 42.24, a P/E/G ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 1.10.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.32 earnings per share. Marriott International’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. Equities 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This is a boost from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 22nd. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.64%.

Marriott International News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Marriott said domestic travel has remained strong since the West Asia conflict, suggesting resilient demand and healthy booking trends for its hotel portfolio. Strong domestic travel since West Asia war: Marriott
• Positive Sentiment: Marriott unveiled 600 Bonvoy experiences for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which could boost brand engagement and drive additional travel-related spending from loyal customers. Marriott Bonvoy Unveils 600 Experiences for FIFA World Cup 2026 Fans
• Positive Sentiment: Marriott opened its 10,000th property globally in India, a symbolic milestone that highlights the company’s continued expansion and scale across international markets. Marriott International Celebrates 10,000 Properties Globally with the Opening of the JW Marriott Ranthambore Resort & Spa
• Positive Sentiment: Management also highlighted the new JW Marriott Ranthambore opening as a milestone for the brand, reinforcing Marriott’s growth pipeline in India and its luxury positioning. Marriott unveils 10,000th property with opening of JW Marriott in India
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains supportive, with brokerages maintaining a “Moderate Buy” consensus, which is constructive but not a fresh catalyst. Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: Marriott’s planned luxury wellness brand joining Bonvoy in late 2026 adds to its long-term growth story, but the launch is still months away. Marriott’s new luxury wellness brand will join Bonvoy in late 2026

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, EVP Peggy Roe sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 19,827 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,168,650.12. The trade was a 13.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 11.43% of the company’s stock.

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.