Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Hits New 1-Year High Following Analyst Upgrade

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday after Barclays raised their price target on the stock from $356.00 to $372.00. Barclays currently has an equal weight rating on the stock. Marriott International traded as high as $373.33 and last traded at $375.2560, with a volume of 125532 shares. The stock had previously closed at $362.42.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on MAR. Evercore boosted their target price on Marriott International from $320.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Marriott International from $331.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Marriott International from $283.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Marriott International from $353.00 to $403.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Marriott International from $323.00 to $356.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $353.36.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marriott International

In other news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 63,000 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $359.22, for a total transaction of $22,630,860.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 113,617 shares in the company, valued at approximately $40,813,498.74. The trade was a 35.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider William P. Brown sold 9,456 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $358.25, for a total value of $3,387,612.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 11,000 shares in the company, valued at $3,940,750. This represents a 46.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 95,540 shares of company stock valued at $34,274,055 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 11.43% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Marriott International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Momentum/price action: market reports show MAR reached an all‑time high, reflecting strong demand and positive investor sentiment around travel recovery and earnings outlook. Marriott International stock hits all-time high
• Positive Sentiment: Supplier change that could boost margins/guest experience: Marriott plans to switch from Pepsi to Coca‑Cola for beverage supply — a chainwide supplier shift that can affect costs, marketing partnerships and in‑hotel F&B margins (positive if Coke offers better terms or co‑marketing). Marriott to switch from Pepsi to Coke
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion into luxury Saudi market: Marriott appointed a Red Sea marketing lead to deepen its push into Saudi luxury tourism tied to Vision 2030, supporting long‑term room growth in premium segments. Growth in high‑margin international luxury can lift RevPAR and franchise/management fees. Marriott Deepens Saudi Luxury Push
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional demand: Assetmark increased its MAR stake in the latest 13F filing, a sign of continued institutional accumulation and vote of confidence. Assetmark Inc. Has $12.08 Million Position
• Neutral Sentiment: Debt listing/notes: A listing references Marriott DL‑Notes (2025/27) — routine bond market activity that affects liquidity and capital structure but isn’t a direct earnings driver unless it signals large new issuance. Marriott International Inc.DL-Notes 2025(25/27) Bond
• Neutral Sentiment: Local/marketing activations: New Courtyard event programming (Phuket) is positive for brand engagement but is a small, localized revenue driver. Introducing “The Summer Social” at Courtyard by Marriott Phuket
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry trend piece (India): Coverage of hotels/airlines entering food delivery in India could signal competitive local moves, but direct impact on Marriott’s global franchise economics is limited for now. Why Indian Hotels and Airlines Are Taking a Slice of Food Delivery Apps
• Neutral Sentiment: Unrelated name overlap: A mining press release references “Marriott” properties sold in Timmins, Ontario — not related to Marriott International and not material. Plato Gold Corp. Announces Closing of Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst view limits upside: Barclays raised its price target to $372 but kept an “equal weight” rating — the PT sits near/below current trading, signaling limited analyst upside and a cautious near‑term outlook. Barclays raises price target on Marriott

Institutional Trading of Marriott International

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. McMillan Office Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in Marriott International in the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. acquired a new position in Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marriott International Price Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average of $339.15 and a 200 day moving average of $310.90. The stock has a market cap of $100.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.82, a P/E/G ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 1.10.

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 firm had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 quarterly revenue was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. 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. On average, analysts expect that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 EPS for the current year.

Marriott International Announces Dividend

The firm 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. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 26th. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Marriott International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 28.24%.

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.