Investors Buy Large Volume of Call Options on Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR)

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) was the target of some unusual options trading on Thursday. Stock traders purchased 31,615 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 928% compared to the average volume of 3,074 call options.

Marriott International Trading Up 2.4%

Shares of MAR traded up $8.38 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $362.33. 863,217 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,587,990. Marriott International has a 1-year low of $240.36 and a 1-year high of $380.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $95.99 billion, a PE ratio of 38.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 1.10. The business has a fifty day moving average of $341.19 and a 200-day moving average of $316.85.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $2.58 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 the consensus estimate 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.45 EPS. 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. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Marriott International will post 11.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 26th were issued a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 26th. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 28.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other news, EVP Drew Pinto sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,221 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,957,998.01. The trade was a 32.73% 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. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $358.03, for a total value of $716,060.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 26,399 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,451,633.97. This represents a 7.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 95,540 shares of company stock valued at $34,274,055 in the last quarter. 11.43% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marriott International

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of MAR. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. McMillan Office Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the third quarter worth about $28,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MAR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Marriott International from $356.00 to $383.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $285.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $280.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $356.00 to $372.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $357.27.

About Marriott International

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.