Marriott Stock Slips on Soft Outlook for Room Growth, Profit

Key Takeaways

Marriott International ( MAR ) shares fell 4% Tuesday as the hotel operator's guidance missed forecasts on slower room growth.

The company sees current-quarter adjusted earnings per share (EPS) in the range of $2.20 to $2.26, and full-year adjusted EPS of $9.83 to $10.19. Analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha were looking for $2.35 and $10.58, respectively. Marriott's net room growth expectation is for a gain of 4% to 5%, while the Visible Alpha estimate was for 5.23%.

Marriott Q4 Results Top Estimates

The outlook offset strong fourth-quarter results. The company posted adjusted EPS of $2.45, with revenue rising more than 5% year-over-year to $6.43 billion. Both exceeded predictions.

CEO Anthony Capuano said worldwide revenue per available room (RevPAR) was up 5% on increases in average daily rate (ADR) and occupancy. Capuano added international RevPAR rose 7%, driven by strong leisure demand, while U.S. and Canada RevPAR grew more than 4% as all customer segments gained.

Shares of Marriott International set an all-time closing high yesterday, and despite today's decline, they're about 18% higher over the past year.

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