Handelsbanken Fonder AB Has $1.09 Million Position in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH)

Handelsbanken Fonder AB reduced its stake in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) by 20.7% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 7,651 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,000 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Choice Hotels International were worth $1,086,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 81.4% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 399 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Choice Hotels International in the third quarter worth $55,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International during the third quarter valued at $63,000. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International during the fourth quarter valued at $125,000. Finally, Maryland Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International during the fourth quarter valued at $143,000. 65.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Choice Hotels International Stock Down 2.3 %

Shares of CHH stock opened at $143.07 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.96, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.23. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $108.91 and a twelve month high of $157.86. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $145.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $139.05.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $389.77 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $374.24 million. Choice Hotels International had a negative return on equity of 472.31% and a net margin of 18.91%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 7.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Choice Hotels International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.2875 per share. This represents a $1.15 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Choice Hotels International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.46%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CHH has been the topic of several research reports. Barclays upped their price target on Choice Hotels International from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Susquehanna increased their target price on Choice Hotels International from $130.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Bank of America increased their price target on Choice Hotels International from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Choice Hotels International from $122.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price target on Choice Hotels International from $134.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $139.92.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Choice Hotels International news, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.30, for a total transaction of $519,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 68,913 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,219,797.90. The trade was a 4.83 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 24.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.