Bridgewater Associates LP Sells 14,964 Shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH)

Bridgewater Associates LP trimmed its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH - Free Report) by 64.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,237 shares of the company's stock after selling 14,964 shares during the quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP's holdings in Choice Hotels International were worth $1,073,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in CHH. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 307.4% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 220 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Choice Hotels International by 129.4% in the 2nd quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 250 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 1,146.9% in the 2nd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 399 shares of the company's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 367 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International during the 2nd quarter valued at $56,000. Finally, Quest Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International during the 2nd quarter worth $69,000. 65.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Choice Hotels International Trading Down 0.4 %

NYSE:CHH traded down $0.65 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $150.59. 224,284 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 470,014. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.97, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 177.75, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.71. The company has a fifty day moving average of $139.24 and a 200 day moving average of $127.79. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $108.91 and a 12 month high of $153.81.

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

Choice Hotels International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 1st were issued a dividend of $0.2875 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, October 1st. This represents a $1.15 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.76%. Choice Hotels International's dividend payout ratio is presently 22.03%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CHH has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Choice Hotels International from $113.00 to $114.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Susquehanna boosted their target price on Choice Hotels International from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. UBS Group cut their target price on Choice Hotels International from $126.00 to $125.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $138.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Choice Hotels International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $150.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Choice Hotels International currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $130.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Choice Hotels International news, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 9,138 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.88, for a total transaction of $1,232,533.44. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 68,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,240,493.92. This represents a 11.77 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Patrick Pacious sold 7,192 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The shares were 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 owns 404,666 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $58,656,336.70. The trade was a 1.75 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 71,437 shares of company stock valued at $9,788,980 over the last quarter. 24.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Choice Hotels International 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.