The Goldman Sachs Group Upgrades Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) to Buy

The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH - Free Report) from a sell rating to a buy rating in a report released on Monday, MarketBeat reports. The Goldman Sachs Group currently has $138.00 price objective on the stock, down from their prior price objective of $141.00.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the company. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Choice Hotels International from $131.00 to $139.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $154.00 to $133.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Robert W. Baird boosted 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 report on Tuesday, February 25th. StockNews.com cut shares of Choice Hotels International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 15th. Finally, Susquehanna upped their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $130.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $139.15.

Choice Hotels International Stock Up 0.4 %

CHH traded up $0.44 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $123.96. 211,252 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 406,737. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.08. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $135.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $140.31. Choice Hotels International has a 1-year low of $109.22 and a 1-year high of $157.86.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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. Choice Hotels International had a net margin of 18.91% and a negative return on equity of 472.31%. The firm had revenue of $389.77 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $374.24 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Choice Hotels International will post 7.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Choice Hotels International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st were paid a dividend of $0.2875 per share. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.93%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 1st. Choice Hotels International's payout ratio is currently 18.46%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Choice Hotels International

In other Choice Hotels International news, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 3,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president now owns 68,913 shares in the company, valued at $10,219,797.90. The trade was a 4.83 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 1,780 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.40, for a total transaction of $257,032.00. Following the sale, 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.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CHH. Quantinno Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Choice Hotels International during the third quarter worth $368,000. MML Investors Services LLC grew its position in Choice Hotels International by 13.6% during the 3rd quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 6,692 shares of the company's stock worth $872,000 after purchasing an additional 802 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International in the third quarter valued at about $395,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Choice Hotels International during the third quarter valued at $55,000. Finally, Sanctuary Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Choice Hotels International by 33.4% during the 3rd quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 16,834 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,193,000 after acquiring an additional 4,219 shares during the period. 65.57% of the stock is currently owned by 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.