Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) Given Consensus Rating of “Reduce” by Brokerages

Shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) have earned a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the fourteen research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have issued a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $109.1538.

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on CHH shares. Barclays decreased their price objective on Choice Hotels International from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Choice Hotels International from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Argus reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Choice Hotels International in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Choice Hotels International from $122.00 to $110.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 18th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Choice Hotels International news, SVP Simone Wu sold 8,080 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.56, for a total value of $820,604.80. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 48,803 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,956,432.68. The trade was a 14.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 23.78% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Choice Hotels International

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Beese Fulmer Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International during the fourth quarter worth about $233,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 9,295.9% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 62,577 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,961,000 after purchasing an additional 61,911 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp increased its position in Choice Hotels International by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 9,174 shares of the company’s stock worth $874,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International by 84.5% during the 4th quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 4,693 shares of the company’s stock worth $447,000 after buying an additional 2,149 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fenimore Asset Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 8.7% in the 4th quarter. Fenimore Asset Management Inc now owns 193,444 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,427,000 after buying an additional 15,508 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.57% of the company’s stock.

Choice Hotels International Stock Down 1.1%

CHH opened at $106.53 on Friday. Choice Hotels International has a one year low of $84.04 and a one year high of $157.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.81, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 8.67 and a beta of 0.76. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $98.49 and its 200-day simple moving average is $105.64.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $2.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.18 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $278.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $419.75 million. Choice Hotels International had a return on equity of 9,081.29% and a net margin of 23.93%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.23 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Choice Hotels International will post 7.07 EPS for the current year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.2875 per share. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 2nd. Choice Hotels International’s dividend payout ratio is 14.13%.

About Choice Hotels International

Choice Hotels International, Inc is a hospitality franchisor specializing in the development and support of lodging brands across the economy, midscale and upscale segments. Through a network of franchisees, Choice Hotels supplies proprietary reservation and distribution systems, comprehensive marketing programs, and operational support services. The company’s core activities include brand management, franchise development, and technology-driven revenue optimization tools designed to enhance guest acquisition and retention for its partners.

Founded in 1939 as Quality Courts United, the company rebranded to Choice Hotels International in 1982 to reflect its expanding brand portfolio and global ambitions.