Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Cut to “Hold” at Freedom Broker

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) was downgraded by stock analysts at Freedom Broker from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, Zacks reports.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Mizuho decreased their price objective on Marriott International from $384.00 to $374.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Argus dropped their target price on Marriott International from $445.00 to $425.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 14th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on Marriott International from $410.00 to $395.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $402.00 price target on Marriott International in a research note on Monday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Marriott International in a research report on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $394.48.

Marriott International Trading Up 2.0%

Shares of MAR opened at $424.87 on Tuesday. Marriott International has a 12 month low of $272.66 and a 12 month high of $433.30. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $363.86 and a 200 day simple moving average of $357.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $109.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.40, a PEG ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 1.15.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The company reported $3.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.84 by $0.18. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.68% and a negative return on equity of 69.94%. The firm had revenue of $7 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.93 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.47 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Marriott International will post 12.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In related news, insider Deborah Harrison sold 3,500 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $352.09, for a total transaction of $1,232,315.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 282,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $99,424,230.47. This trade represents a 1.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider David Marriott sold 3,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the insider owned 282,383 shares in the company, valued at $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 Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. State Street Corp raised its stake 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 valued at $3,574,256,000 after acquiring an additional 272,044 shares during the last quarter. Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marriott International in the second quarter worth $81,872,000. William Blair Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Marriott International by 255.5% in the second quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 300,872 shares of the company’s stock valued at $111,500,000 after purchasing an additional 216,241 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S increased its holdings in Marriott International by 170.4% in the second quarter. Danske Bank A S now owns 326,743 shares of the company’s stock valued at $121,088,000 after purchasing an additional 205,886 shares during the period. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Marriott International during the 3rd quarter worth $65,604,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Marriott International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 results and guidance beat expectations. Marriott reported adjusted EPS of $3.02 versus the $2.84 consensus, while revenue rose 8% to $7.01 billion. It also raised its full-year 2026 EPS outlook to $12.07–$12.14, above the $11.74 consensus, and forecast Q4 EPS above estimates. Global RevPAR grew 6.5%, and fee growth outpaced RevPAR. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Shares reached a new 12-month high following the earnings beat. The results and improved outlook appear to be helping sustain investor momentum. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs raised its price target to $456 and reiterated a Buy rating, signaling further potential upside in the firm’s view. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Marriott expanded its Asia-Pacific presence, opening its 800th property in the region excluding China and making its debut in Laos. The addition supports the company’s global growth, though the near-term financial contribution is unclear. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinions are mixed. Freedom Broker downgraded Marriott to Hold while raising its target to $439; Barclays and Baird also raised their targets, but their estimates remained below the recent share price. This suggests some analysts see limited near-term upside after the stock’s run. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Marriott is testing an airline-style upgrade list in its Bonvoy app, a possible loyalty-program enhancement, but no financial impact has been reported. Read More.

Marriott International Company Profile

Marriott International, Inc is a global hospitality company that develops, franchises, licenses and manages hotels, resorts, residences and other lodging properties. Its portfolio includes brands such as Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, W Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, JW Marriott, Courtyard, Fairfield by Marriott, Residence Inn and Element. The company also operates Marriott Bonvoy, a travel loyalty program that provides members with benefits and rewards across participating properties and travel experiences.

Marriott traces its origins to 1927, when J.