Head to head · SEC data as of July 18, 2026

Marriott vs Hilton: which has the stronger fundamentals?

Marriott

80

Quality score · out of 100

Hilton

77

Quality score · out of 100

On paper this one is nearly a draw: Marriott scores 80 and Hilton scores 77 out of 100 in our fundamental quality model. Marriott wins on less debt (0.07× vs 3.9×). Hilton answers with cash generation (FCF) (17.9% vs 10.6%), revenue growth (22.1% vs 19.2%) and earnings growth (42.4% vs 28.1%).

The metrics, head to head

MetricMarriottHilton
Quality score (0-100)8077
Net margin9.7%12.6%
Gross margin
ROE
Net debt/EBITDA0.07×3.9×
FCF margin10.6%17.9%
Revenue growth (annualized)19.2%22.1%
Earnings growth (annualized)28.1%42.4%

TTM metrics with official SEC data, refreshed daily. Bold green marks the winner of each metric. A dash means the metric doesn't apply or isn't reliable.

What each one does

Marriott. Marriott is the world's largest hotelier by brands and rooms —Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton, Westin and dozens more— yet owns almost no hotels: it manages and franchises, charging fees on owners' revenue. Little capital, lots of margin.

Hilton. Hilton is one of the planet's two big hotel companies, with a key detail: it barely owns hotels. It sells its brand and booking system to owners who pay to operate under its flags — a capital-light royalty business the market adores.

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What this comparison doesn't tell you

The score measures business quality, not whether the stock is cheap or expensive: the better company can be the worse investment if you overpay. For the valuation verdict, enter each one's current price in the analyzer:

Analyze Marriott →Analyze Hilton →

Frequently asked questions

Who has the stronger fundamentals today, Marriott or Hilton?

They're practically tied: Marriott and Hilton score 80 and 77 out of 100 in the StockSemáforo model (profitability, growth and financial strength, built on official SEC data). The score is recomputed nightly with the latest filings.

Does that make Marriott the better investment?

No. The score measures business quality, not valuation: an excellent company can trade at an excessive price and be a poor investment at that price. To find out whether it's cheap or expensive, enter its current quote in the StockSemáforo analyzer.

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