Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Call Options on Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR)

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Traders acquired 49,780 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 1,971% compared to the typical daily volume of 2,404 call options.

More Marriott International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple firms raised price targets and reiterated bullish views (Jefferies to $415 buy; Goldman to $398 buy; Wells Fargo to $403 overweight; BMO and others also lifted targets), signaling analyst confidence in upside from international and luxury demand. These Analysts Boost Their Forecasts On Marriott International Following Q4 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue topped expectations ($6.69B vs. ~$6.67B) and RevPAR rose globally (notably +6.1% international), and management gave FY‑2026 EPS guidance (11.32–11.57) and Q1 guidance (2.50–2.55) that underpin growth expectations. Marriott International Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call‑option buying (tens of thousands of calls) suggests short‑term bullish positioning by traders/speculators. Marriott International Stock Is Jumping Today: What’s Happening?
• Positive Sentiment: Management says it is “actively investing” in AI and progressing a systems migration — a potential medium‑term efficiency and loyalty‑program enhancement that could boost margins and returns on scale. Marriott ‘actively investing’ in AI, reports progress on system migration
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand/marketing initiatives (e.g., The Ritz‑Carlton x Kilometre Paris collection) support high‑end positioning but are unlikely to move near‑term earnings materially. The Ritz-Carlton x Kilometre Paris: Iconic Destinations, Reimagined in Handcrafted Travel Pieces
• Negative Sentiment: EPS slightly missed (adj. $2.58 vs. ~$2.61 consensus) and the company reported unusual accounting effects (negative ROE) — small misses can pressure sentiment despite the revenue beat. Marriott Q4 earnings / call transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Marriott disclosed a $23M loss tied to ending the Sonder arrangement, plus flagged contract/dispute risks tied to its asset‑light model — these items add near‑term costs and legal/growth uncertainty. Marriott said it lost $23 million in letting go of Sonder
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. business‑travel softness and a government shutdown impact were cited as headwinds; management sees uneven U.S. room‑revenue growth, which could cap near‑term domestic recovery. Marriott forecasts weak room revenue growth on sluggish US budget travel demand

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marriott International news, CAO Felitia Lee sold 1,617 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,893 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,497,160.14. The trade was a 24.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 10.68% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Marriott International

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MAR. Basepoint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marriott International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Stock Down 0.2%

MAR stock opened at $358.75 on Thursday. Marriott International has a 52-week low of $205.40 and a 52-week high of $367.73. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $315.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $287.20. The firm has a market cap of $96.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.80, a PEG ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 1.13.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.61 by ($0.03). Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 88.92% and a net margin of 9.93%.The business had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.67 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.45 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter 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, analysts anticipate that Marriott International will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on MAR. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $283.00 to $350.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays lifted their price target on Marriott International from $320.00 to $356.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $323.00 to $356.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Marriott International from $357.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Evercore upped their target price on Marriott International from $320.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Marriott International presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $343.27.

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.