Zacks Research Has Optimistic Outlook of MAR Q1 Earnings

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) – Analysts at Zacks Research boosted their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for Marriott International in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, February 24th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $2.54 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $2.49. The consensus estimate for Marriott International’s current full-year earnings is $10.10 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Marriott International’s Q2 2026 earnings at $3.05 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $2.92 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $2.99 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $11.50 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.71 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $3.37 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $3.17 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $3.47 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $12.72 EPS.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.61 by ($0.03). Marriott International had a negative return on equity of 84.23% and a net margin of 9.93%.The firm had revenue of $6.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.67 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.45 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. 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.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on MAR. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Marriott International from $320.00 to $356.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $355.00 to $398.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Marriott International from $323.00 to $356.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. BMO Capital Markets raised Marriott International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their target price for the company from $285.00 to $370.00 in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price target on Marriott International from $283.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $343.27.

Marriott International Price Performance

MAR stock opened at $341.73 on Thursday. Marriott International has a 1-year low of $205.40 and a 1-year high of $370.00. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $328.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $294.26. The company has a market capitalization of $90.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.01, a PEG ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 1.13.

Marriott International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 26th will be given a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 26th. Marriott International’s payout ratio is currently 28.24%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Rajeev Menon sold 6,333 shares of Marriott International stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.61, for a total transaction of $2,258,411.13. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 9,492 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,384,942.12. The trade was a 40.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Drew Pinto sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $359.81, for a total value of $1,439,240.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 8,221 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,957,998.01. This trade represents a 32.73% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 97,157 shares of company stock valued at $34,768,825. Corporate insiders own 10.68% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marriott International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Marriott International by 1.1% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,774,015 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,410,384,000 after acquiring an additional 230,820 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Marriott International by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,488,566 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,592,371,000 after purchasing an additional 114,973 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of Marriott International by 21.7% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 9,175,377 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,389,635,000 after purchasing an additional 1,637,119 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Marriott International by 2.0% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,223,539 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,420,308,000 after buying an additional 102,798 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in Marriott International by 7.2% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,921,767 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,281,825,000 after buying an additional 330,952 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.70% of the company’s stock.

More Marriott International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks increased several near-term EPS forecasts (Q1–Q4 2026 and portions of 2026–2027) and raised FY2026 estimates, suggesting better-than-expected recovery momentum and higher near-term earnings visibility. These upgrades are constructive for MAR’s earnings trajectory and valuation in the near term.
• Positive Sentiment: Marriott is expanding its higher-margin luxury pipeline and international footprint — e.g., the W Atlanta Downtown conversion to JW Marriott (luxury repositioning) and announced record EMEA signings — supporting long-term unit growth and fee-based revenue potential. W Atlanta Downtown will convert to JW Marriott Marriott deepens Middle East footprint
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector commentary notes persistent hotel-industry headwinds but highlights growth levers — memberships, conversions and loyalty programs — where Marriott is competitive. This keeps the story mixed: positive operational levers but ongoing macro/industry pressure. 3 Hotel Stocks to Watch
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks also issued mixed/negative adjustments to parts of 2027: cuts to Q1 and Q2 2027 and a modest downgrade to FY2027 (from $12.81 to $12.72), creating uncertainty about longer‑term margin recovery and smoothing of results. These downward tweaks likely contributed to intraday selling pressure as investors re‑price medium‑term growth assumptions.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks’ FY2028 EPS projection of $14.12 (well above current consensus of ~$10.10) signals bullish long‑range assumptions but also introduces forecast dispersion — some investors may view that as optimistic and discount near-term risk, adding to volatility.

About Marriott International

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.