Weiss Ratings Reiterates "Hold (C)" Rating for Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH)

Key Points

• Weiss Ratings has reiterated its "hold (C)" rating for Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH), while other analysts, including Bank of America and UBS Group, have lowered their ratings and target prices for the stock.
• Choice Hotels' recent stock performance saw shares trading at $101.77, with a market cap of $4.71 billion and an average target price consensus of $127.92.
• The company's latest quarterly earnings report showed that it achieved an EPS of $1.92, slightly exceeding analyst expectations, but revenue was down by 2.0% compared to last year.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold (c)" rating restated by research analysts at Weiss Ratings in a report issued on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

CHH has been the topic of a number of other reports. Bank of America lowered shares of Choice Hotels International from a "buy" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $110.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Monday, September 29th. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $160.00 to $149.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Choice Hotels International in a report on Monday, June 23rd. They issued an "underweight" rating and a $124.00 price target on the stock. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $117.00 to $101.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "underweight" rating and set a $121.00 price target on shares of Choice Hotels International in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $127.92.

Choice Hotels International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CHH traded up $0.39 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $101.77. 514,511 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 497,334. The firm has a market cap of $4.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.66, a P/E/G ratio of 7.29 and a beta of 0.83. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $115.63 and its 200 day simple moving average is $123.72. Choice Hotels International has a 1 year low of $100.22 and a 1 year high of $157.86.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported $1.92 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $426.44 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $430.13 million. Choice Hotels International had a net margin of 19.52% and a negative return on equity of 575.73%. The company's quarterly revenue was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.84 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Choice Hotels International will post 7.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Choice Hotels International

In related news, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.45, for a total transaction of $341,125.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 68,381 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,330,587.45. This trade represents a 3.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 23.78% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Choice Hotels International

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Choice Hotels International by 14,818.2% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 25,361 shares of the company's stock worth $3,367,000 after acquiring an additional 25,191 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International by 66.2% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 256 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Portside Wealth Group LLC acquired a new position in Choice Hotels International during the 1st quarter worth about $202,000. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in Choice Hotels International by 492.4% during the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 5,207 shares of the company's stock worth $691,000 after buying an additional 4,328 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Essex Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in Choice Hotels International during the 1st quarter valued at about $278,000. Institutional investors own 65.57% of the company's stock.

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.

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