Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) Price Target Raised to $165.00

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) had its price objective lifted by Bank of America from $160.00 to $165.00 in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. Bank of America currently has a buy rating on the stock.

CHH has been the topic of a number of other reports. Susquehanna lifted their price target on Choice Hotels International from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Choice Hotels International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $150.00 to $152.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $123.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Choice Hotels International from $138.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $135.92.

Choice Hotels International Stock Down 0.8 %

CHH opened at $147.65 on Monday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $144.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $135.82. The company has a market capitalization of $6.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.29, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.24. Choice Hotels International has a 52 week low of $108.91 and a 52 week high of $153.81.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.92 by $0.31. Choice Hotels International had a net margin of 16.27% and a negative return on equity of 659.01%. The company had revenue of $428.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $432.62 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.82 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Choice Hotels International will post 6.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Choice Hotels International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd were given a dividend of $0.2875 per share. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.78%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 2nd. Choice Hotels International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.03%.

Insider Transactions at Choice Hotels International

In other Choice Hotels International news, CEO Patrick Pacious sold 26,816 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.69, for a total value of $3,880,007.04. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 404,666 shares in the company, valued at approximately $58,551,123.54. This represents a 6.21 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 24.02% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Choice Hotels International

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in shares of Choice Hotels International by 81.4% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 399 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares during the period. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International in the third quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $63,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC grew its stake in Choice Hotels International by 12.9% in the 3rd quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 843 shares of the company’s stock valued at $110,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Choice Hotels International in the 4th quarter worth $125,000. 65.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.