Marriott International Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:MAR)

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Tuesday. Investors acquired 32,765 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 933% compared to the average daily volume of 3,173 call options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MAR. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $323.00 to $356.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $329.00 to $369.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Marriott International from $357.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Evercore upped their price objective on Marriott International from $320.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $343.47.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 63,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $359.22, for a total value of $22,630,860.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 113,617 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $40,813,498.74. This represents a 35.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Drew Pinto sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $359.81, for a total value of $1,439,240.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 8,221 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,957,998.01. This trade represents a 32.73% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 95,540 shares of company stock worth $34,274,055. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MAR. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Marriott International during the 4th quarter valued at about $812,570,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of Marriott International by 21.7% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 9,175,377 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,389,635,000 after acquiring an additional 1,637,119 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in Marriott International by 37.9% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,363,845 shares of the company’s stock worth $423,119,000 after purchasing an additional 374,497 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its position in Marriott International by 7.2% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,921,767 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,281,825,000 after purchasing an additional 330,952 shares during the period. Finally, Capital International Investors boosted its stake in Marriott International by 7.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 4,107,531 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,274,475,000 after purchasing an additional 272,250 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Marriott International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Marriott announced a joint venture to add Lefay — a high-end European wellness brand — as the first Marriott brand dedicated exclusively to luxury wellness. The move expands Marriott’s upper-end, higher-margin product set and plugs Lefay into Marriott Bonvoy distribution and loyalty, supporting RevPAR and brand differentiation. Marriott International and Lefay Announce Milestone Deal to Grow Luxury Wellness Offerings Globally
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity: traders bought ~32,765 call contracts (?933% above average), signaling short-term bullish positioning that can amplify upside momentum in the stock as market makers hedge. (Trade tape item)
• Positive Sentiment: Brand expansion in Japan: Series by Marriott opened Sugata Hotel Osaka Shinsaibashi, extending Marriott’s lifestyle footprint in a key Asia market and supporting international growth and distribution. Series by Marriott Debuts in Japan with the Opening of Sugata Hotel Osaka Shinsaibashi
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline growth: Marriott added a 10-hotel pipeline expansion in Vietnam and opened Four Points by Sheraton São Vicente in Cape Verde, signaling ongoing global development momentum in growth markets. Marriott expands Vietnam pipeline with 10 new hotels Marriott International Makes its Entry into Cape Verde with the Opening of Four Points by Sheraton São Vicente Resort
• Neutral Sentiment: C-PACE financing enabled an $11M renovation for conversion to a dual-branded Marriott property (MCM Elegante), which supports franchise growth but is a localized, modest impact on consolidated results. MCM Elegante Hotel secures $11m C-PACE funds for Marriott conversion
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate PR/openings: Marriott flagged multiple resort openings and milestone celebrations — supportive for brand momentum but incremental to near-term earnings. Marriott Celebrates Multiple Milestones With Latest Resort Opening
• Negative Sentiment: Localized cost pressure: JW Marriott Marco Island faces higher property taxes following a purchase, which will raise operating costs at that asset and is a small near-term headwind. JW Marriott Marco Island to pay more in property taxes after purchase
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results showed a small EPS miss (by $0.03) despite revenue growth and management left FY26 guidance in a wide EPS range — a reminder that near-term margins and ROE remain watchpoints for investors. (Company earnings release)

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of Marriott International stock traded up $7.76 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $327.07. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,455,507 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,670,885. Marriott International has a one year low of $205.40 and a one year high of $370.00. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $331.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $303.27. The stock has a market cap of $86.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 1.09.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.61 by ($0.03). Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 84.23% and a net margin of 9.93%.The business had revenue of $6.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.67 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.45 EPS. Marriott International’s revenue was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, sell-side analysts predict that Marriott International will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, February 26th will be given a dividend of $0.67 per share. 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%.

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.