Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) Receives $134.18 Consensus Price Target from Brokerages

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) has received an average recommendation of “Reduce” from the eleven research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $134.36.

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on CHH shares. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $123.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. StockNews.com raised Choice Hotels International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $150.00 to $152.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $118.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on Choice Hotels International from $134.00 to $136.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th.

Choice Hotels International Price Performance

Choice Hotels International stock opened at $143.30 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.23. Choice Hotels International has a 12-month low of $108.91 and a 12-month high of $153.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 177.75, a current ratio of 0.71 and a quick ratio of 0.71. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $144.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $132.77.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.92 by $0.31. Choice Hotels International had a negative return on equity of 659.01% and a net margin of 16.27%. The company had revenue of $428.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $432.62 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.82 EPS. Choice Hotels International’s revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Choice Hotels International will post 6.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.2875 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.80%. Choice Hotels International’s payout ratio is 22.03%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Patrick Pacious sold 7,192 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.95, for a total value of $1,042,480.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 404,666 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $58,656,336.70. This represents a 1.75 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 9,138 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.88, for a total value of $1,232,533.44. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 68,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,240,493.92. This trade represents a 11.77 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 53,572 shares of company stock valued at $7,562,444. Company insiders own 24.02% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Choice Hotels International

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 111,903 shares during the period. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas bought a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,691,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in Choice Hotels International by 26.2% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 16,048 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,155,000 after purchasing an additional 3,330 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC grew its position in Choice Hotels International by 33.4% in the third quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 16,834 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,193,000 after buying an additional 4,219 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Anchor Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International in the third quarter valued at $55,000. 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.