Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) Shares Sold by Atria Investments Inc

Atria Investments Inc lessened its stake in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) by 3.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 19,254 shares of the company’s stock after selling 699 shares during the period. Atria Investments Inc’s holdings in Choice Hotels International were worth $2,734,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 279,149 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,634,000 after purchasing an additional 2,725 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 165.5% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $85,000 after purchasing an additional 374 shares during the last quarter. Norden Group LLC increased its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Norden Group LLC now owns 4,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $639,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Choice Hotels International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,895,000. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc acquired a new stake in Choice Hotels International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $214,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.57% of the company’s stock.

Choice Hotels International Trading Up 2.0 %

Choice Hotels International stock opened at $145.04 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $6.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $145.78 and a 200-day simple moving average of $140.10. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $109.22 and a 12-month high of $157.86.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.10. Choice Hotels International had a net margin of 18.91% and a negative return on equity of 472.31%. The firm had revenue of $389.77 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $374.24 million. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 7.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Choice Hotels International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.2875 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.79%. Choice Hotels International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.46%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $131.00 to $139.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Susquehanna raised their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $130.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Choice Hotels International has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $140.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Choice Hotels International news, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 1,780 shares of Choice Hotels International stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.40, for a total value of $257,032.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 32,014 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,622,821.60. The trade was a 5.27 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 3,500 shares of Choice Hotels International stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.30, for a total transaction of $519,050.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 68,913 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,219,797.90. This represents a 4.83 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 24.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Choice Hotels International Profile

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.