Marriott International Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NASDAQ:MAR)

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Tuesday. Investors purchased 49,780 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 1,971% compared to the typical daily volume of 2,404 call options.

Marriott International Stock Performance

Shares of Marriott International stock traded up $27.45 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $358.66. 2,214,724 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,543,796. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $313.73 and its 200 day moving average is $286.13. The firm has a market cap of $96.25 billion, a PE ratio of 37.92, a PEG ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 1.13. Marriott International has a 1 year low of $205.40 and a 1 year high of $363.54.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.61 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $6.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.67 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 89.29% and a net margin of 10.07%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm 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. Research analysts expect that Marriott International will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Headlines Impacting Marriott International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue slightly beat estimates driven by international travel and loyalty-program strength — Marriott reported $6.69B in revenue (vs. ~$6.67B est.) and highlighted growth in its Bonvoy members and international demand, a key driver of today’s buying. Marriott shares jump on strong 2025 revenue, international travel boost
• Positive Sentiment: Company set FY‑2026 EPS guidance marginally above consensus (11.320–11.570 vs. ~11.48) and Q1 guidance roughly in line — the guide reduced execution risk for investors and supported the rally. Marriott sets full-year profit guidance ahead of expectations
• Positive Sentiment: RevPAR and luxury/international segments showed meaningful strength — management cited international RevPAR growth (~6.1% Q4) and luxury demand, which boosts margin mix and rev‑per‑room recovery outlook. Marriott Revenue Climbs on International, Luxury Strength
• Neutral Sentiment: Adjusted EPS narrowly missed consensus ($2.58 vs. $2.61), a modest miss that tempered upside but didn’t overwhelm the revenue/guidance story. Investors are treating this as noise given the company’s guidance and international momentum. Marriott International (MAR) Lags Q4 Earnings Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. demand weakness, especially in the budget segment, limits room‑revenue growth domestically — management flagged uneven U.S. travel that could cap recovery and longer‑term upside in those cohorts. Marriott projects weak room revenue growth on sluggish US budget travel demand
• Negative Sentiment: Business travel was hit by the recent government shutdown, which contributed to the earnings miss and underscores near‑term volatility in corporate travel spend. Marriott misses expectations after shutdown hit business travel

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Felitia Lee sold 1,617 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.98, for a total transaction of $494,769.66. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,893 shares in the company, valued at $1,497,160.14. The trade was a 24.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 10.68% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 1.1% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,774,015 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,410,384,000 after acquiring an additional 230,820 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in Marriott International by 1.2% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,488,566 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,592,371,000 after buying an additional 114,973 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in Marriott International by 21.7% in 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 purchasing an additional 1,637,119 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Marriott International by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,223,539 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,420,308,000 after acquiring an additional 102,798 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 7.2% during 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 in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MAR has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Marriott International from $287.00 to $285.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Marriott International from $294.00 to $323.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Marriott International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the company from $288.00 to $345.00 in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $329.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Evercore boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $320.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marriott International currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $316.19.

Marriott International Company 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.