Lord Abbett & CO. LLC Has $26.87 Million Holdings in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH)

Lord Abbett & CO. LLC reduced its position in shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH - Free Report) by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 206,226 shares of the company's stock after selling 16,239 shares during the period. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC owned about 0.44% of Choice Hotels International worth $26,872,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 307.4% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 220 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 129.4% during the second quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 250 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. grew its position in shares of Choice Hotels International by 1,146.9% during the second quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 399 shares of the company's stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 367 shares during the last quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Choice Hotels International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $55,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in Choice Hotels International during the 2nd quarter valued at about $56,000. Institutional investors own 65.57% of the company's stock.

Choice Hotels International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CHH traded down $1.28 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $145.17. The company had a trading volume of 279,304 shares, compared to its average volume of 460,477. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $142.83 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $130.25. The stock has a market cap of $6.81 billion, a PE ratio of 27.81, a P/E/G ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 177.75. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $108.91 and a 1-year high of $153.81.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $428.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $432.62 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.82 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 6.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.2875 per share. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. Choice Hotels International's payout ratio is 22.03%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Patrick Pacious sold 26,816 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.69, for a total transaction of $3,880,007.04. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 404,666 shares in the company, valued at approximately $58,551,123.54. This trade represents a 6.21 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Simone Wu sold 7,840 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.08, for a total transaction of $1,019,827.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 45,669 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,940,623.52. This represents a 14.65 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 61,412 shares of company stock worth $8,582,271. Corporate insiders own 24.02% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CHH has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on Choice Hotels International in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. They set an "underweight" rating and a $133.00 price objective for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on Choice Hotels International from $113.00 to $114.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $134.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Robert W. Baird boosted 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 report 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 report on Wednesday, November 6th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $134.18.

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.