Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) Shares Sold by KBC Group NV

KBC Group NV lessened its position in shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) by 94.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,155 shares of the company’s stock after selling 20,040 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Choice Hotels International were worth $153,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,423,373 shares of the company’s stock worth $344,070,000 after buying an additional 8,362 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Choice Hotels International in the 4th quarter valued at about $48,201,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. raised its stake in Choice Hotels International by 69.8% in the 4th quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 292,836 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,577,000 after purchasing an additional 120,376 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Choice Hotels International by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 279,149 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,634,000 after purchasing an additional 2,725 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in Choice Hotels International by 10.3% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 267,256 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,945,000 after purchasing an additional 24,957 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.57% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on CHH shares. Jefferies Financial Group cut 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. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $132.00 to $111.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Choice Hotels International in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. They issued an “underweight” rating and a $124.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $124.00 to $115.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $131.31.

Choice Hotels International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:CHH opened at $131.50 on Monday. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $116.13 and a 1 year high of $157.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.08, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.96. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $127.17 and a 200-day simple moving average of $134.47.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The company reported $1.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by ($0.04). Choice Hotels International had a negative return on equity of 377.51% and a net margin of 19.75%. The firm had revenue of $332.86 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $348.52 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.28 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 7.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.2875 per share. This represents a $1.15 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, July 1st. Choice Hotels International’s payout ratio is currently 17.56%.

Insider Transactions at Choice Hotels International

In related news, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.54, for a total transaction of $642,700.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 70,881 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,111,043.74. The trade was a 6.59% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Ervin R. Shames sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.56, for a total value of $259,120.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 52,212 shares in the company, valued at $6,764,586.72. This trade represents a 3.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 24.02% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.