Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Morgan Stanley Analyst Says

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH - Get Free Report) had its price target upped by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $131.00 to $139.00 in a report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "underweight" rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley's target price suggests a potential downside of 4.17% from the company's previous close.

CHH has been the subject of several other research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $113.00 to $114.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Bank of America lifted their target price on Choice Hotels International from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Truist Financial increased their price target on Choice Hotels International from $134.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. StockNews.com upgraded Choice Hotels International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, 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 note on Tuesday, February 25th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Choice Hotels International presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $140.67.

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Choice Hotels International Stock Up 2.0 %

NYSE:CHH traded up $2.81 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $145.04. 541,766 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 426,152. Choice Hotels International has a 52 week low of $109.22 and a 52 week high of $157.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.28, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.25. The firm's 50 day moving average is $145.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $139.83.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.10. Choice Hotels International had a negative return on equity of 472.31% and a net margin of 18.91%. The company had revenue of $389.77 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $374.24 million. As a group, research analysts predict that Choice Hotels International will post 7.07 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 1,780 shares of the firm'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 completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 32,014 shares in the company, valued at $4,622,821.60. This trade represents a 5.27 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 3,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.30, for a total value of $519,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 68,913 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,219,797.90. This represents a 4.83 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 24.02% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Choice Hotels International

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CHH. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Choice Hotels International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $48,201,000. Erste Asset Management GmbH purchased a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $19,545,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International by 69.8% in the 4th quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 292,836 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,577,000 after purchasing an additional 120,376 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 38.5% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 402,293 shares of the company's stock worth $52,419,000 after buying an additional 111,903 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Choice Hotels International during the fourth quarter valued at $15,354,000. 65.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.