Principal Financial Group Inc. Buys 8,264 Shares of Marriott International, Inc. $MAR

Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) by 3.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 255,249 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,264 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.10% of Marriott International worth $83,484,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of MAR. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Marriott International by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,887 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,479,000 after buying an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of Marriott International by 39.1% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 5,805 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,383,000 after acquiring an additional 1,631 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP raised its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 39.6% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 19,332 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,605,000 after purchasing an additional 5,480 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 21.8% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,035 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,438,000 after purchasing an additional 1,079 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in Marriott International by 3.8% during the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 137,329 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,520,000 after purchasing an additional 5,007 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Peggy Roe sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $361.56, for a total value of $1,084,680.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 19,827 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,168,650.12. This represents a 13.14% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 11.43% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ MAR opened at $371.14 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $97.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 1.11. Marriott International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $253.76 and a 12 month high of $410.98. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $376.22 and a 200-day moving average of $350.08.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.59 billion. During the same quarter in the prior 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. Analysts predict that Marriott International, Inc. will post 11.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd were issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 22nd. This is a positive change from Marriott International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. Marriott International’s payout ratio is presently 30.64%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Marriott International from $446.00 to $449.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Marriott International from $350.00 to $356.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Marriott International from $356.00 to $383.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $412.00 price objective on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Monday, June 15th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $343.00 to $384.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $384.93.

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.