7,809 Shares in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) Purchased by Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC

Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 7,809 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,109,000.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Choice Hotels International by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,423,373 shares of the company's stock worth $344,070,000 after purchasing an additional 8,362 shares during the last quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp lifted its position in shares of Choice Hotels International by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 949,586 shares of the company's stock valued at $134,822,000 after acquiring an additional 9,490 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $48,201,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International by 69.8% in the fourth quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 292,836 shares of the company's stock worth $41,577,000 after acquiring an additional 120,376 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Choice Hotels International by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 279,149 shares of the company's stock worth $39,634,000 after purchasing an additional 2,725 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.57% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Choice Hotels International

In related news, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 1,780 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.40, for a total transaction of $257,032.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 32,014 shares in the company, valued at $4,622,821.60. This trade represents a 5.27 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 3,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.30, for a total value of $519,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 68,913 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,219,797.90. This represents a 4.83 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 23.78% of the company's stock.

Choice Hotels International Stock Up 1.9 %

Choice Hotels International stock traded up $2.31 during trading on Friday, reaching $123.57. The stock had a trading volume of 499,877 shares, compared to its average volume of 392,459. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $109.22 and a 52-week high of $157.86. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $128.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $139.50. The stock has a market cap of $5.77 billion, a PE ratio of 19.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.00.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The company reported $1.34 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.38 by ($0.04). Choice Hotels International had a negative return on equity of 472.31% and a net margin of 18.91%. The firm had revenue of $332.86 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $348.52 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.28 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 7.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Choice Hotels International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st were issued a dividend of $0.2875 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $1.15 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.93%. Choice Hotels International's payout ratio is currently 18.46%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird upped their target price 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. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Choice Hotels International from a "sell" rating to a "buy" rating and lowered their price target for the company from $141.00 to $138.00 in a research report on Monday, April 14th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Choice Hotels International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 15th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $124.00 to $115.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $154.00 to $133.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $135.69.

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.