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

Shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Reduce” from the twelve brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have given a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $135.92.

Several research firms recently weighed in on CHH. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $138.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $150.00 to $152.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Choice Hotels International in a report on Thursday, December 5th. They issued an “underweight” rating and a $133.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underweight” rating and set a $129.00 target price (down previously from $145.00) on shares of Choice Hotels International in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Susquehanna raised their target price on Choice Hotels International from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th.

Choice Hotels International Trading Down 0.3 %

Choice Hotels International stock opened at $147.19 on Monday. Choice Hotels International has a 1-year low of $108.91 and a 1-year high of $153.81. The firm has a market cap of $6.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 1.24. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $144.66 and a 200-day moving average of $136.10.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.92 by $0.31. Choice Hotels International had a negative return on equity of 659.01% and a net margin of 16.27%. The firm had revenue of $428.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $432.62 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.82 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Choice Hotels International will post 6.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Choice Hotels International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 2nd were given a dividend of $0.2875 per share. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 2nd. Choice Hotels International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.03%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Patrick Pacious sold 7,192 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.95, for a total value of $1,042,480.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 404,666 shares in the company, valued at $58,656,336.70. The trade was a 1.75 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 24.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Choice Hotels International

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 81.4% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 399 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Choice Hotels International during the third quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in Choice Hotels International in the third quarter worth approximately $63,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC grew its position in Choice Hotels International by 12.9% in the 3rd quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 843 shares of the company’s stock worth $110,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Choice Hotels International during the 4th quarter valued at $125,000. 65.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.