Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) Sets New 1-Year High – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $136.00 and last traded at $135.60, with a volume of 13826 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $134.88.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CHH has been the subject of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded Choice Hotels International from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $120.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Friday, July 19th. Susquehanna began coverage on shares of Choice Hotels International in a report on Friday, June 21st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $144.00 to $134.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. StockNews.com raised shares of Choice Hotels International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Choice Hotels International in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. They issued a “sell” rating and a $105.00 price target on the stock. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Choice Hotels International presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $126.00.

Choice Hotels International Stock Performance

The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $127.71 and a 200 day moving average price of $122.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 177.75. The firm has a market cap of $6.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.25.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $1.84 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.86 by ($0.02). Choice Hotels International had a net margin of 15.42% and a negative return on equity of 3,953.67%. The company had revenue of $435.20 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $438.29 million. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.75 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 6.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st were issued a dividend of $0.2875 per share. This represents a $1.15 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, October 1st. Choice Hotels International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 24.68%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Choice Hotels International

In other news, insider Patrick Cimerola sold 1,714 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total value of $231,390.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 18,084 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,441,340. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, insider Patrick Cimerola sold 1,714 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $231,390.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 18,084 shares in the company, valued at $2,441,340. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 9,138 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.88, for a total transaction of $1,232,533.44. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 68,509 shares in the company, valued at $9,240,493.92. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 37,429 shares of company stock valued at $4,866,493 in the last 90 days. 24.02% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Choice Hotels International

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System raised its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International by 17.8% in the first quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 34,074 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,993,000 after purchasing an additional 5,156 shares in the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA lifted its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 29.8% during the 1st quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 50,479 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,378,000 after acquiring an additional 11,581 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in shares of Choice Hotels International by 62.8% during the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 21,990 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,778,000 after acquiring an additional 8,485 shares in the last quarter. Twin Tree Management LP acquired a new position in Choice Hotels International in the first quarter worth about $6,248,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in Choice Hotels International by 161.3% during the second quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 10,341 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,231,000 after purchasing an additional 6,384 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.57% of the company’s stock.

About Choice Hotels International

Choice Hotels International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a hotel franchisor in the United States and internationally. It operates through Hotel Franchising & Management and Corporate & Other segments. The company franchises lodging properties under the brand names of Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Clarion, Clarion Pointe, Sleep Inn, Ascend Hotel Collection, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn, MainStay Suites, Suburban Studios, WoodSpring Suites, Everhome Suites, Cambria Hotels, Radisson Blu, Radisson RED, Radisson, Park Plaza, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Radisson Inn & Suites, Park Inn by Radisson, Radisson Individuals, and Radisson Collection.