Analysts Set Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) Target Price at $133.38

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Reduce” by the thirteen brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $133.3846.

Several equities analysts have recently commented on CHH shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on Choice Hotels International in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. They issued an “underweight” rating and a $124.00 price target on the stock. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on Choice Hotels International from $144.00 to $128.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 30th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on Choice Hotels International from $144.00 to $136.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 22nd. Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating and issued a $121.00 price target on shares of Choice Hotels International in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Susquehanna set a $140.00 price objective on Choice Hotels International and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th.

Choice Hotels International Stock Performance

Choice Hotels International stock opened at $115.17 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $124.93 and a two-hundred day moving average of $127.65. The stock has a market cap of $5.33 billion, a PE ratio of 17.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.90. Choice Hotels International has a one year low of $111.42 and a one year high of $157.86.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported $1.92 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $426.44 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $430.13 million. Choice Hotels International had a negative return on equity of 575.73% and a net margin of 19.52%.Choice Hotels International’s quarterly revenue was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.84 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Choice Hotels International will post 7.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Choice Hotels International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 16th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be paid a $0.2875 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 1st. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Choice Hotels International’s payout ratio is 17.69%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.45, for a total transaction of $341,125.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 68,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,330,587.45. This represents a 3.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders sold 12,500 shares of company stock valued at $1,647,400 over the last three months. 23.78% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Choice Hotels International

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CHH. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International during the first quarter worth $49,799,000. Bamco Inc. NY raised its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 6.8% during the second quarter. Bamco Inc. NY now owns 4,990,652 shares of the company’s stock valued at $633,214,000 after buying an additional 317,618 shares in the last quarter. Rock Creek Group LP increased its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International by 52.3% in the second quarter. Rock Creek Group LP now owns 811,579 shares of the company’s stock worth $102,973,000 after purchasing an additional 278,715 shares during the period. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International in the first quarter worth about $25,673,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International by 194.8% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 237,097 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,083,000 after purchasing an additional 156,666 shares during the period. 65.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.