Avantax Advisory Services Inc. Has $383,000 Stock Position in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH)

Avantax Advisory Services Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) by 3.2% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 2,699 shares of the company’s stock after selling 90 shares during the quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in Choice Hotels International were worth $383,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of CHH. Anchor Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Choice Hotels International during the third quarter worth $55,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 55.8% during the 4th quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 430 shares of the company’s stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International during the third quarter valued at about $63,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International by 165.5% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $85,000 after buying an additional 374 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Choice Hotels International during the fourth quarter worth about $125,000. 65.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Choice Hotels International Price Performance

CHH stock opened at $131.55 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $143.70 and a 200 day moving average price of $140.63. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $109.22 and a fifty-two week high of $157.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.12, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.25.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $389.77 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $374.24 million. Choice Hotels International had a negative return on equity of 472.31% and a net margin of 18.91%. On average, equities analysts expect that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 7.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Choice Hotels International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $0.2875 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $1.15 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.87%. Choice Hotels International’s payout ratio is 18.46%.

Insider Activity at Choice Hotels International

In related news, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $10,219,797.90. This trade represents a 4.83 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 1,780 shares of the business’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 represents a 5.27 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 24.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on CHH shares. Redburn Atlantic upgraded Choice Hotels International from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $132.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Choice Hotels International from $118.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $122.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Susquehanna raised their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $130.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their target price 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. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $140.62.

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.