Marriott Vacations Worldwide (NYSE:VAC) Shares Gap Up on Earnings Beat

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation (NYSE:VAC)’s share price gapped up prior to trading on Thursday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $58.00, but opened at $70.41. Marriott Vacations Worldwide shares last traded at $67.0860, with a volume of 251,980 shares.

The company reported $1.86 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.72 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $1.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.30 billion. Marriott Vacations Worldwide had a positive return on equity of 11.21% and a negative net margin of 6.12%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.86 EPS. Marriott Vacations Worldwide has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.050-7.800 EPS.

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a dividend of $0.80 per share. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. Marriott Vacations Worldwide’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -34.52%.

Key Headlines Impacting Marriott Vacations Worldwide

Here are the key news stories impacting Marriott Vacations Worldwide this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat and encouraging margins: VAC reported $1.86 EPS vs. $1.72 consensus and highlighted strong EBITDA performance, which helped trigger an initial rally after results. Marriott Vacations Q4 Earnings Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Raised FY‑2026 outlook: management set EPS guidance of $7.05–$7.80 (above Street consensus ~6.83) and targets $755M–$780M adjusted EBITDA for 2026, signaling operational improvement under new leadership. That guidance is a key bullish driver. Marriott Vacations targets $755M–$780M adjusted EBITDA in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish analyst and aftermarket commentary: some analysts and investors (e.g., Seeking Alpha write-ups) view the quarter and new strategy as a bottoming process — citing valuation, free cash flow potential and a ~5.7% dividend yield — supporting a longer‑term buy case. Marriott Vacations Q4 Review
• Neutral Sentiment: Short interest fell meaningfully in February (≈14.4% decline), reducing some short-squeeze risk but also reflecting shifting sentiment among bearish holders; impact on price is mixed. (No direct article link available)
• Negative Sentiment: Conflicting analyst signals — Wells Fargo raised its target to $58 but kept an “underweight” call (implying downside), while Stifel raised its target to $85 with a “buy” — creates crosscurrents and may encourage profit-taking and volatility. Analyst price target changes
• Negative Sentiment: Investor lawsuit probe: Pomerantz LLP announced an investigation into Marriott Vacations, which introduces legal/looser sentiment risk and likely pressured sentiment today. Pomerantz investigation
• Negative Sentiment: Top‑line softness and contract sales slip: revenues slightly missed estimates and contract sales declined year‑over‑year, underscoring execution challenges despite the EPS beat and making some investors cautious. Q4 losses and strategic refocus

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VAC has been the subject of several recent research reports. Zacks Research upgraded Marriott Vacations Worldwide from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Morgan Stanley restated an “underweight” rating and set a $52.00 price objective (down from $70.00) on shares of Marriott Vacations Worldwide in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Marriott Vacations Worldwide from $46.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Citizens Jmp reduced their price target on Marriott Vacations Worldwide from $115.00 to $60.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of Marriott Vacations Worldwide from $63.00 to $54.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $64.00.

Institutional Trading of Marriott Vacations Worldwide

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in Marriott Vacations Worldwide by 18.2% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 140,662 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,036,000 after purchasing an additional 21,623 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in Marriott Vacations Worldwide by 147.9% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 8,487 shares of the company’s stock worth $545,000 after acquiring an additional 5,064 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in shares of Marriott Vacations Worldwide by 4.7% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 100,636 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,465,000 after purchasing an additional 4,497 shares in the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in Marriott Vacations Worldwide in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $203,000. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Marriott Vacations Worldwide by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,047 shares of the company’s stock valued at $365,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.52% of the company’s stock.

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Stock Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average price of $58.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $63.00. The company has a quick ratio of 3.22, a current ratio of 3.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.25 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.01, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.33.

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Company Profile

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, specializes in the development, marketing and management of vacation ownership resorts and related products. Originally launched as a division of Marriott International in 1984, the company became a separate publicly traded entity in 2011. Since then, it has expanded its offerings through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions, establishing itself as a leading provider in the global timeshare industry.

The company’s core business activities include selling vacation ownership interests, managing a growing portfolio of branded resorts and operating a loyalty program that allows members to exchange or use points at affiliated properties.