Traders Purchase Large Volume of Marriott International Call Options (NASDAQ:MAR)

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) saw some unusual options trading activity on Tuesday. Investors purchased 49,780 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 1,971% compared to the typical daily volume of 2,404 call options.

Key Stories Impacting Marriott International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue slightly beat estimates driven by international travel and loyalty-program strength — Marriott reported $6.69B in revenue (vs. ~$6.67B est.) and highlighted growth in its Bonvoy members and international demand, a key driver of today’s buying. Marriott shares jump on strong 2025 revenue, international travel boost
• Positive Sentiment: Company set FY‑2026 EPS guidance marginally above consensus (11.320–11.570 vs. ~11.48) and Q1 guidance roughly in line — the guide reduced execution risk for investors and supported the rally. Marriott sets full-year profit guidance ahead of expectations
• Positive Sentiment: RevPAR and luxury/international segments showed meaningful strength — management cited international RevPAR growth (~6.1% Q4) and luxury demand, which boosts margin mix and rev‑per‑room recovery outlook. Marriott Revenue Climbs on International, Luxury Strength
• Neutral Sentiment: Adjusted EPS narrowly missed consensus ($2.58 vs. $2.61), a modest miss that tempered upside but didn’t overwhelm the revenue/guidance story. Investors are treating this as noise given the company’s guidance and international momentum. Marriott International (MAR) Lags Q4 Earnings Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. demand weakness, especially in the budget segment, limits room‑revenue growth domestically — management flagged uneven U.S. travel that could cap recovery and longer‑term upside in those cohorts. Marriott projects weak room revenue growth on sluggish US budget travel demand
• Negative Sentiment: Business travel was hit by the recent government shutdown, which contributed to the earnings miss and underscores near‑term volatility in corporate travel spend. Marriott misses expectations after shutdown hit business travel

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on MAR shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Marriott International from $294.00 to $323.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on Marriott International from $329.00 to $369.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Marriott International in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Marriott International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the company from $288.00 to $345.00 in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on shares of Marriott International from $276.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Marriott International presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $316.19.

Insider Activity

In other Marriott International news, CAO Felitia Lee sold 1,617 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.98, for a total value of $494,769.66. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,893 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,497,160.14. This represents a 24.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 10.68% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MAR. Frederick Financial Consultants LLC increased its stake in shares of Marriott International by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Frederick Financial Consultants LLC now owns 3,531 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,095,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Waterloo Capital L.P. purchased a new position in Marriott International in the fourth quarter worth about $425,000. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 87,817 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,244,000 after acquiring an additional 3,024 shares during the last quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,602,000. Finally, DT Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Marriott International by 298.8% in the fourth quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 331 shares of the company’s stock valued at $103,000 after acquiring an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MAR traded up $27.45 on Tuesday, hitting $358.66. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,214,724 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,543,796. Marriott International has a 1 year low of $205.40 and a 1 year high of $363.54. The company has a market capitalization of $96.25 billion, a PE ratio of 37.92, a PEG ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $313.73 and a 200 day simple moving average of $286.13.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.61 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $6.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.67 billion. Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 89.29% and a net margin of 10.07%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $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, equities research analysts expect that Marriott International will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.