Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) Receives $131.31 Average Price Target from Brokerages

Shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH - Get Free Report) have been given an average recommendation of "Reduce" by the thirteen ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $131.31.

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on CHH shares. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Choice Hotels International from a "sell" rating to a "buy" rating and cut their price objective for the company from $141.00 to $138.00 in a report on Monday, April 14th. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 19th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $154.00 to $133.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Choice Hotels International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Choice Hotels International in a report on Monday, June 23rd. They set an "underweight" rating and a $124.00 price objective on the stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Ervin R. Shames sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.56, for a total value of $259,120.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 52,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,764,586.72. This represents a 3.69% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 24.02% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Choice Hotels International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in Choice Hotels International by 66.2% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 256 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. HM Payson & Co. purchased a new stake in Choice Hotels International in the 1st quarter worth approximately $35,000. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in Choice Hotels International by 64.7% in the 1st quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 275 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its position in Choice Hotels International by 30.3% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 370 shares of the company's stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tortoise Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Choice Hotels International by 55.8% in the 4th quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 430 shares of the company's stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.57% of the company's stock.

Choice Hotels International Price Performance

Choice Hotels International stock traded up $0.78 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $127.80. The stock had a trading volume of 829,087 shares, compared to its average volume of 391,940. The company has a market cap of $5.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.51, a PEG ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.97. The business's 50 day moving average price is $126.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $134.94. Choice Hotels International has a 52 week low of $116.13 and a 52 week high of $157.86.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH - Get Free Report) last announced 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 377.51% and a net margin of 19.75%. The firm had revenue of $332.86 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $348.52 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.28 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Choice Hotels International will post 7.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Choice Hotels International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be issued a $0.2875 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 1st. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.90%. Choice Hotels International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.56%.

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.