NewEdge Advisors LLC Buys Shares of 9,144 Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH)

NewEdge Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 9,144 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,298,000.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Choice Hotels International in the 4th quarter valued at about $48,201,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position 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 during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $15,354,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $10,779,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 85.5% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 134,188 shares of the company's stock worth $19,052,000 after buying an additional 61,849 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.57% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CHH has been the topic of several recent research reports. StockNews.com downgraded Choice Hotels International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Choice Hotels International from a "sell" rating to a "buy" rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $141.00 to $138.00 in a report on Monday, April 14th. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $132.00 to $111.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price 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. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $135.69.

Choice Hotels International Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE CHH traded down $0.10 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $125.66. 55,853 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 400,537. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $132.28 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $140.09. The company has a market capitalization of $5.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.08. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $109.22 and a 52-week high of $157.86.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $389.77 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $374.24 million. Choice Hotels International had a net margin of 18.91% and a negative return on equity of 472.31%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 7.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st were issued a $0.2875 dividend. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.92%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 1st. Choice Hotels International's dividend payout ratio is 18.46%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 1,780 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.40, for a total value of $257,032.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 32,014 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,622,821.60. This trade represents a 5.27 % 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. Also, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 3,500 shares of the company'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 transaction, 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. 24.02% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.