Comerica Bank Cuts Stock Position in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH)

Comerica Bank decreased its holdings in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) by 8.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 14,879 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,388 shares during the quarter. Comerica Bank’s holdings in Choice Hotels International were worth $2,113,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in CHH. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Choice Hotels International in the 4th quarter valued at about $48,201,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Choice Hotels International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $15,354,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new position in Choice Hotels International in the fourth quarter worth approximately $10,779,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 85.5% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 134,188 shares of the company’s stock worth $19,052,000 after acquiring an additional 61,849 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Choice Hotels International by 503.8% in the 4th quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 33,638 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,776,000 after purchasing an additional 28,067 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.57% of the company’s stock.

Choice Hotels International Stock Performance

Shares of CHH opened at $123.57 on Friday. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $109.22 and a fifty-two week high of $157.86. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $128.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $139.45. The company has a market capitalization of $5.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.00.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 8th. The company reported $1.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $332.86 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $348.52 million. Choice Hotels International had a negative return on equity of 472.31% and a net margin of 18.91%. The firm’s revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.28 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 7.07 EPS for the current year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Choice Hotels International

In other Choice Hotels International news, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,219,797.90. This trade represents a 4.83 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed 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 stock was sold at an average price of $144.40, for a total transaction of $257,032.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 32,014 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,622,821.60. This trade represents a 5.27 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 23.78% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CHH has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $154.00 to $133.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Choice Hotels International from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $141.00 to $138.00 in a report on Monday, April 14th. Susquehanna boosted their target price on Choice Hotels International from $130.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $138.00 to $137.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Choice Hotels International currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $135.69.

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.