Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) Stock Rated "Moderate Buy" by Sell-Side Analysts

Key Points

• Marriott has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating from 27 analysts, with 13 buy, two strong-buy, 11 hold and one sell rating. The average 12-month price target is $381.22.
• The company beat quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $3.19 EPS versus the $3.08 consensus, while revenue rose 4.8% year over year. Analysts expect approximately $11.69 in EPS for the current fiscal year.
• Institutional investors own 70.70% of Marriott, while insiders own 11.43%; two insiders recently sold 3,500 shares each at an average price of $352.09. Marriott also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73, equal to a 0.8% annualized yield.

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-seven research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $381.22.

MAR has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Erste Group Bank started coverage on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. TD Cowen upgraded shares of Marriott International to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $400.00 to $388.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $412.00 to $395.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Friday, August 7th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marriott International news, insider David S. Marriott sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $352.09, for a total value of $1,232,315.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 282,383 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $99,424,230.47. This represents a 1.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Deborah Harrison sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $352.09, for a total value of $1,232,315.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 282,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $99,424,230.47. This represents a 1.22% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 11.43% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marriott International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MAR. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Marriott International by 2.9% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,644,773 shares of the company's stock worth $3,574,256,000 after acquiring an additional 272,044 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in Marriott International by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,440,359 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,377,577,000 after acquiring an additional 118,504 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in Marriott International by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 727,472 shares of the company's stock valued at $237,893,000 after acquiring an additional 5,530 shares during the last quarter. Swiss National Bank increased its holdings in Marriott International by 5.9% in the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 669,398 shares of the company's stock valued at $218,940,000 after acquiring an additional 37,080 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its stake in Marriott International by 62.7% in the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 640,350 shares of the company's stock worth $199,069,000 after purchasing an additional 246,681 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company's stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

Marriott International stock opened at $371.82 on Thursday. Marriott International has a one year low of $256.76 and a one year high of $410.98. The business's fifty day moving average is $350.42 and its 200 day moving average is $361.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $96.96 billion, a PE ratio of 38.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 1.17.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $3.19 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.08 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $2.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.19 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 75.81% and a net margin of 9.62%. Marriott International's revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.65 EPS. Marriott International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.640-11.810 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.740-2.820 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Marriott International will post 11.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th were paid a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 20th. Marriott International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.26%.

Marriott International News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Freedom Broker initiated coverage of Marriott International with a “buy” rating and a $408 price target, implying approximately 9.7% upside from the referenced price. Freedom Broker initiates Marriott coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are also assigning buy ratings to Marriott and Hilton as the lodging industry enters a “new era,” supporting a broader positive view of hotel demand and sector fundamentals. Marriott and Hilton receive buy ratings
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2026 earnings forecast for Marriott to $11.75 per share from $11.73 and maintained a “buy” rating. The revised estimate is above the roughly $11.69 consensus forecast.
• Positive Sentiment: Marriott continues expanding its global footprint, opening its first City Express property in South Asia in Udaipur, India, and its first Marriott Hotels property in Jakarta, Indonesia. These openings strengthen the company’s long-term room-growth pipeline. City Express by Marriott opens in India
• Neutral Sentiment: Marriott’s Beijing Marriott Marquis hosted a China Open delegation during its opening period, providing visibility for the new property but limited direct financial impact in the near term. Beijing Marriott Marquis hosts China Open delegation
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $384 from $380, a modestly positive valuation revision that nevertheless suggests limited upside relative to the newer $408 target. Morgan Stanley raises Marriott price target

About Marriott International

Marriott International, Inc NASDAQ: MAR is a global hospitality company that operates, franchises, licenses and manages hotels, resorts, residences and other lodging properties. Its portfolio serves business and leisure travelers across a range of price points, from luxury and premium accommodations to select-service and extended-stay properties.

The company's brands include The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, JW Marriott, W Hotels, The Luxury Collection, EDITION, Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Renaissance, Courtyard, Residence Inn, Fairfield by Marriott, SpringHill Suites, AC Hotels, Aloft, Moxy and Element.

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