Fenimore Asset Management Inc Has $18.43 Million Stock Position in Choice Hotels International, Inc. $CHH

Key Points

• Fenimore Asset Management raised its stake in Choice Hotels by 8.7% to 193,444 shares, a holding worth about $18.43 million (≈0.42% of the company) at quarter end.
• Q1 results showed revenue topped estimates ($340.6M vs. ~$333.5M) but EPS missed ($1.07 vs. ~$1.35), and FY2026 guidance of $6.92–$7.14 sits slightly below Street expectations, which contributed to near‑term share weakness.
• Insider selling accelerated recently—SVP Simone Wu sold 8,080 shares and CFO Scott Oaksmith sold 1,603 shares; insiders sold 10,283 shares in the last three months and now own 23.78% of the stock, while institutional investors hold 65.57%.

Fenimore Asset Management Inc raised its stake in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH - Free Report) by 8.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 193,444 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 15,508 shares during the period. Fenimore Asset Management Inc owned 0.42% of Choice Hotels International worth $18,427,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CHH. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Choice Hotels International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its position in Choice Hotels International by 77.4% in the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 392 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International during the third quarter valued at $38,000. Bayforest Capital Ltd bought a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International during the fourth quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International by 82.2% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 523 shares of the company's stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 236 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.57% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Simone Wu sold 8,080 shares of Choice Hotels International stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.56, for a total transaction of $820,604.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 48,803 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,956,432.68. This trade represents a 14.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 1,603 shares of Choice Hotels International stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total transaction of $160,300.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 37,172 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,717,200. This represents a 4.13% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 10,283 shares of company stock valued at $1,040,947 in the last three months. 23.78% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Choice Hotels International News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Choice Hotels International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Reported record quarterly revenue of about $340.6M, topping analyst revenue expectations and showing 2.3% year-over-year growth — a sign that demand and fee revenue held up. Market Release / Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Operational momentum: global net rooms rose ~1.7%, U.S. openings hit a five‑year high, and global franchise agreements awarded increased ~72% — constructive for Choice’s capital‑light, fee-driven model and long‑term royalty base. PR Newswire: Q1 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Updated FY2026 EPS guidance to $6.92–$7.14, which sits slightly below the Street consensus (~$7.19); a modest guidance gap that tempers upside but still implies solid full‑year profitability. Guidance / Conference Call
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings miss: Q1 EPS was $1.07 vs. consensus ~$1.35 and down from $1.34 a year ago — the profit shortfall hurt near‑term sentiment and raises questions on margin timing. Zacks: Earnings Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction and commentary noted shares “sank” initially on the profit miss and what some called a disappointing FY26 outlook — indicating investor concern that contributed to intraday volatility and higher volume. Seeking Alpha: Market Reaction

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on CHH. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $109.00 to $117.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Susquehanna raised their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $95.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Choice Hotels International from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $83.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $91.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $111.25.

Choice Hotels International Price Performance

CHH stock opened at $100.69 on Friday. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $84.04 and a 52-week high of $136.45. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $106.84 and a 200-day moving average price of $101.46. The company has a market capitalization of $4.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.57, a PEG ratio of 4.18 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.58, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.95.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.35 by ($0.28). Choice Hotels International had a return on equity of 281.98% and a net margin of 21.55%.The firm had revenue of $340.58 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $333.48 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.34 EPS. Choice Hotels International's quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. Choice Hotels International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.920-7.140 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 7.1 EPS for the current year.

Choice Hotels International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 1st were paid a dividend of $0.2875 per share. This represents a $1.15 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 1st. Choice Hotels International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.50%.

Choice Hotels International Company Profile

Choice Hotels International, Inc is a hospitality franchisor specializing in the development and support of lodging brands across the economy, midscale and upscale segments. Through a network of franchisees, Choice Hotels supplies proprietary reservation and distribution systems, comprehensive marketing programs, and operational support services. The company's core activities include brand management, franchise development, and technology-driven revenue optimization tools designed to enhance guest acquisition and retention for its partners.

Founded in 1939 as Quality Courts United, the company rebranded to Choice Hotels International in 1982 to reflect its expanding brand portfolio and global ambitions.

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