Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) Releases Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.03 EPS

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.61 by ($0.03), FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $6.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.67 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 10.07% and a negative return on equity of 89.29%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.45 earnings per share. Marriott International updated its FY 2026 guidance to 11.320-11.570 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance to 2.500-2.550 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Marriott International’s conference call:

• Marriott ended 2025 with a record pipeline of ~610,000 rooms (265,000 under construction), strong conversions (≈1/3 of signings) and is guiding to 4.5%–5% organic net rooms growth in 2026.
• The company increased the royalty component of co‑branded credit‑card income, which helps explain an expected ~35% uplift in co‑brand fees flowing into franchise fees for 2026, supported by a 271 million‑member Bonvoy base.
• 2026 financial targets: global RevPAR growth of 1.5%–2.5%, gross fee revenues up ~8%–10% to ~$5.9B, adjusted EBITDA up ~8%–10% to ~$5.8B–$5.9B, and adjusted diluted EPS growth of 13%–15%.
• Q4 and FY 2025 showed solid operating results (Q4 gross fees +7% to $1.4B; Q4 adjusted EBITDA +9%; FY adjusted EPS $10.02), and the company returned >$4.0B to shareholders in 2025 with planned capital returns of >$4.3B in 2026.
• Near‑term headwinds include continued weakness in parts of Greater China, softness in select‑service tiers, and a significant government RevPAR decline (over 30% during the 43‑day U.S. shutdown, moderating to ~‑15%), plus some owned/leased results affected by renovations and Sonder charges.

Marriott International Trading Up 8.5%

Shares of NASDAQ MAR opened at $359.35 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $314.82 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $286.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $96.43 billion, a PE ratio of 37.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.13. Marriott International has a 12 month low of $205.40 and a 12 month high of $363.54.

Marriott International News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and international demand beat expectations; worldwide RevPAR rose with particularly strong growth in international and luxury segments, and management issued FY‑2026 and Q1 guidance that was roughly in line-to-above consensus — supporting upside momentum. Marriott International Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are reaffirming bullish views: BMO reiterated a Buy and lifted the price target to $400, citing stronger‑than‑expected 2026 growth and fee upside, which supports further share gains. Marriott: Stronger-Than-Expected 2026 Growth and Fee Upside Underpin Buy Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction and flow indicators show bullish positioning (heavy call buying and a post‑earnings jump), reflecting investor enthusiasm around international/luxury momentum and loyalty‑program strength. Marriott shares jump on strong 2025 revenue, international travel boost
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance is largely in line with street expectations (FY EPS 11.32–11.57; Q1 EPS 2.50–2.55), so upside depends on fee/royalty expansion and room growth execution rather than a big surprise. Marriott forecasts in line annual profit amid uneven US travel demand
• Neutral Sentiment: Company projects 4.5%–5% net rooms growth for 2026 and sees rising credit‑card royalty fees as a revenue driver — positive levers, but reliant on development and co‑brand performance. Marriott targets net rooms growth and credit card royalty
• Negative Sentiment: EPS slightly missed consensus (adjusted EPS $2.58 vs. ~$2.61), which tempers the report despite the revenue beat and leaves room for concern if margins slip. Marriott earnings and conference call
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. business travel softness (partly tied to the government shutdown) weighed on Q4 performance, highlighting geographic mix risk if U.S. demand lags. Government shutdown affects Marriott Q4 performance
• Negative Sentiment: One‑time costs: Marriott disclosed a ~$23M hit related to ending the Sonder licensing arrangement, reducing near‑term cash/earnings. Marriott said it lost $23 million in letting go of Sonder
• Negative Sentiment: Emerging risk: contract disputes tied to Marriott’s asset‑light model could create legal, profitability and growth headwinds if franchise/owner relationships sour. Contract disputes risk in asset-light model

Insider Transactions at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, CAO Felitia Lee sold 1,617 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.98, for a total value of $494,769.66. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,893 shares in the company, valued at $1,497,160.14. This trade represents a 24.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marriott International

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MAR. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Marriott International by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,887 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,479,000 after buying an additional 218 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Marriott International by 39.1% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 5,805 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,383,000 after purchasing an additional 1,631 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP boosted its position in shares of Marriott International by 39.6% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 19,332 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,605,000 after purchasing an additional 5,480 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its position in Marriott International by 21.8% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,035 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,438,000 after buying an additional 1,079 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in Marriott International by 3.8% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 137,329 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,520,000 after acquiring an additional 5,007 shares in the last quarter. 70.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on MAR. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $296.00 to $328.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Citigroup increased their target price on Marriott International from $285.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Marriott International from $294.00 to $323.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on shares of Marriott International from $329.00 to $369.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Evercore raised their price target on shares of Marriott International from $320.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Three equities research 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $316.19.

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.