Barclays Has Lowered Expectations for Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) Stock Price

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH - Get Free Report) had its price target reduced by stock analysts at Barclays from $132.00 to $111.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "underweight" rating on the stock. Barclays's price objective points to a potential downside of 11.46% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on CHH. 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. StockNews.com downgraded Choice Hotels International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 15th. Redburn Atlantic upgraded Choice Hotels International from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $132.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, March 24th. Susquehanna increased their target price on Choice Hotels International from $130.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Choice Hotels International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Choice Hotels International currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $135.69.

Choice Hotels International Price Performance

Choice Hotels International stock traded down $0.83 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $125.36. 230,179 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 401,900. Choice Hotels International has a 52-week low of $109.22 and a 52-week high of $157.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.12, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.08. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $132.72 and its 200 day moving average price is $140.10.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $389.77 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $374.24 million. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Choice Hotels International will post 7.07 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 1,780 shares of the business'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 value of $257,032.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 32,014 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,622,821.60. The trade was a 5.27 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 3,500 shares of Choice Hotels International stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president now owns 68,913 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,219,797.90. The trade was a 4.83 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 24.02% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Choice Hotels International

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Choice Hotels International during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $48,201,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of Choice Hotels International by 69.8% during the 4th quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 292,836 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,577,000 after acquiring an additional 120,376 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 38.5% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 402,293 shares of the company's stock valued at $52,419,000 after purchasing an additional 111,903 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Choice Hotels International in the fourth quarter worth $15,354,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new stake in Choice Hotels International during the fourth quarter valued at $10,779,000. 65.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.