Insider Selling: Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) EVP Sells $716,060.00 in Stock

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) EVP Benjamin Breland sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $358.03, for a total transaction of $716,060.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 26,399 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,451,633.97. The trade was a 7.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Marriott International Stock Down 0.6%

Marriott International stock opened at $347.93 on Friday. Marriott International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $205.40 and a twelve month high of $370.00. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $324.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $291.53. The company has a market cap of $92.20 billion, a PE ratio of 36.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 1.13.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued 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). The company had revenue of $6.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.67 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 84.23% and a net margin of 9.93%.The company’s revenue was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.45 earnings per share. 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, sell-side analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders 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 28.24%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MAR. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. McMillan Office Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Marriott International during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new position in Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, AlphaQuest LLC lifted its holdings in Marriott International by 2,750.0% during the second quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 114 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently commented on MAR. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Marriott International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the company from $285.00 to $370.00 in a report on Friday, January 9th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Marriott International from $357.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $353.00 to $403.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Citigroup increased their target price on Marriott International from $285.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted 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. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $343.27.

More Marriott International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management set FY‑2026 and Q1 guidance above some Street expectations, supporting earnings growth expectations and underpinning analyst upgrades. Q4 & FY2024 Results / Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokerages raised price targets or reiterated Buy/Overweight calls after the results, increasing the consensus target and offering support for the stock. MarketBeat Analyst Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Company declared a quarterly dividend ($0.67/shr; ex‑dividend Feb 26), signaling cash‑return discipline that can attract income‑sensitive investors. Dividend Notice
• Positive Sentiment: Retail/momentum coverage (Zacks/Yahoo pieces) is highlighting MAR as a consumer‑discretionary beneficiary of cooling inflation and stronger travel demand, which can draw retail buying. Yahoo: Consumer Discretionary Picks
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results were mixed: revenue modestly beat and was up year‑over‑year, but EPS missed by about $0.03 and margins/ROE metrics raised questions—supports guidance but tempers upside. Nasdaq: Q4 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand and marketing updates (Bonvoy festival experiences; new JW Marriott all‑inclusive) improve engagement but are unlikely to move the stock materially near‑term. MSN: Bonvoy Festival
• Negative Sentiment: Clustered insider selling — large, disclosed sales by CEO Anthony Capuano (63,000 shares) and multiple senior executives (including Rajeev Menon, David Marriott, EVP sales) created visible supply and likely amplified downward pressure on the share price. These are open SEC‑filed sales that can spook investors even when sales are part of pre‑arranged plans. CEO Sale (SEC filing)

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.