Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) Reaches New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $134.60 and last traded at $134.55, with a volume of 24429 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $133.42.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Choice Hotels International in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. They issued a “sell” rating and a $105.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded Choice Hotels International from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $120.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Susquehanna started coverage on shares of Choice Hotels International in a research report on Friday, June 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Truist Financial dropped their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $144.00 to $134.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $137.00 to $134.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $125.64.

Choice Hotels International Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $126.48 and a 200-day moving average of $122.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 177.75, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 0.99. The stock has a market cap of $6.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.74, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.25.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $1.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.86 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $435.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $438.29 million. Choice Hotels International had a net margin of 15.42% and a negative return on equity of 3,953.67%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.75 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 6.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.2875 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 1st. This represents a $1.15 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.85%. Choice Hotels International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 23.91%.

Insider Activity at Choice Hotels International

In other Choice Hotels International news, SVP Simone Wu sold 7,840 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.08, for a total transaction of $1,019,827.20. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 45,669 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,940,623.52. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, SVP Simone Wu sold 7,840 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 45,669 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,940,623.52. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Patrick Pacious sold 10,025 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.37, for a total transaction of $1,206,709.25. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 404,666 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $48,709,646.42. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 24.02% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Choice Hotels International

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System raised its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 17.8% during the first quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 34,074 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,993,000 after purchasing an additional 5,156 shares during the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA boosted its position in shares of Choice Hotels International by 29.8% in the 1st quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 50,479 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,378,000 after buying an additional 11,581 shares in the last quarter. Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP grew its stake in Choice Hotels International by 136.6% in the 4th quarter. Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP now owns 48,299 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,472,000 after acquiring an additional 27,885 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 62.8% during the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 21,990 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,778,000 after acquiring an additional 8,485 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Twin Tree Management LP acquired a new position in Choice Hotels International during the first quarter worth about $6,248,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.57% of the company’s stock.

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.