Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Reduce" by Brokerages

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH - Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of "Reduce" from the twelve brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have issued a hold recommendation and two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $141.33.

CHH has been the topic of several analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $118.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. StockNews.com cut Choice Hotels International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $122.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Susquehanna upped their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $130.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted 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 note on Thursday, January 2nd.

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Insider Buying and Selling 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 shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,219,797.90. This trade represents a 4.83 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 1,780 shares of Choice Hotels International stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.40, for a total value of $257,032.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 32,014 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,622,821.60. The trade was a 5.27 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 24.02% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Choice Hotels International

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CHH. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 30.3% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 370 shares of the company's stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $55,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Choice Hotels International by 55.8% during the fourth quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 430 shares of the company's stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $62,000. Finally, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ lifted its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 836.2% during the fourth quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ now owns 440 shares of the company's stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 393 shares during the period. 65.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Choice Hotels International Price Performance

NYSE:CHH traded down $0.38 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $129.65. 276,061 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 408,500. The business has a 50 day moving average of $144.15 and a 200 day moving average of $140.37. Choice Hotels International has a 1-year low of $109.22 and a 1-year high of $157.86. The company has a market capitalization of $6.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.25.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $389.77 million for 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%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Choice Hotels International will post 7.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Choice Hotels International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed 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 of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $1.15 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.89%. Choice Hotels International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.46%.

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.