Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) Shares Sold by Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH

Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH decreased its stake in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) by 1.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 355,887 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,116 shares during the period. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH’s holdings in Choice Hotels International were worth $50,529,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in Choice Hotels International by 81.4% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 399 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares in the last quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $55,000. Quarry LP purchased a new position in Choice Hotels International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $63,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC increased its position in Choice Hotels International by 12.9% during the third quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 843 shares of the company’s stock worth $110,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Trust Co. of Vermont lifted its stake in Choice Hotels International by 34.0% in the fourth quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 1,045 shares of the company’s stock valued at $148,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. 65.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Choice Hotels International Stock Performance

Shares of CHH stock opened at $144.11 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $144.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $134.84. The stock has a market cap of $6.76 billion, a PE ratio of 27.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.24. 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) last released its quarterly earnings results 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. The business had revenue of $428.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $432.62 million. Choice Hotels International had a negative return on equity of 659.01% and a net margin of 16.27%. The business’s revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.82 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 6.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.2875 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $1.15 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.80%. Choice Hotels International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.03%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on CHH shares. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $118.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Choice Hotels International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $138.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Choice Hotels International in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. They set an “underweight” rating and a $133.00 price target on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $122.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Choice Hotels International has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $133.27.

Insider Activity at Choice Hotels International

In related news, CEO Patrick Pacious sold 7,192 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.95, for a total value of $1,042,480.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 404,666 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $58,656,336.70. The trade was a 1.75 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 24.02% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.