Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) Rating Lowered to Hold at StockNews.com

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) was downgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other research firms have also commented on CHH. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $130.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Bank of America lifted their price objective 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $122.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $150.00 to $152.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Choice Hotels International currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $140.67.

Choice Hotels International Stock Performance

CHH opened at $130.12 on Friday. Choice Hotels International has a one year low of $109.22 and a one year high of $157.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.25. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $144.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $140.44.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $389.77 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $374.24 million. Choice Hotels International had a negative return on equity of 472.31% and a net margin of 18.91%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Choice Hotels International will post 7.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Choice Hotels International

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

Institutional Trading of Choice Hotels International

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC grew its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 30.3% in the fourth quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 370 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International during the 3rd quarter valued at $55,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 55.8% during the 4th quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 430 shares of the company’s stock worth $61,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International in the 4th quarter worth $62,000. Finally, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ boosted its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 836.2% in the fourth quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ now owns 440 shares of the company’s stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 393 shares during the last quarter. 65.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Choice Hotels International Company 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.