Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) Downgraded by Bank of America to “Underperform”

Bank of America lowered shares of Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) from a buy rating to an underperform rating in a research report report published on Monday morning, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has $110.00 price objective on the stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $144.00 to $136.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 22nd. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $121.00 target price on shares of Choice Hotels International in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Choice Hotels International in a research report on Monday, June 23rd. They issued an “underweight” rating and a $124.00 price target for the company. Barclays dropped their price objective on Choice Hotels International from $121.00 to $117.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. Finally, UBS Group cut their target price on Choice Hotels International from $160.00 to $149.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $129.15.

Choice Hotels International Price Performance

CHH stock opened at $108.44 on Monday. Choice Hotels International has a 1-year low of $105.99 and a 1-year high of $157.86. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $119.62 and a 200 day moving average price of $124.92. The company has a market capitalization of $5.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.68, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.90.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported $1.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.02. Choice Hotels International had a net margin of 19.52% and a negative return on equity of 575.73%. The company had revenue of $426.44 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $430.13 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.84 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Choice Hotels International will post 7.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 16th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be given a dividend of $0.2875 per share. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 1st. Choice Hotels International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 17.69%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Choice Hotels International news, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.45, for a total value of $341,125.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 68,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,330,587.45. This trade represents a 3.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders sold 7,500 shares of company stock valued at $1,004,700 in the last three months. Company insiders own 24.02% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Choice Hotels International

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bamco Inc. NY grew its position in Choice Hotels International by 6.8% during the 2nd quarter. Bamco Inc. NY now owns 4,990,652 shares of the company’s stock worth $633,214,000 after purchasing an additional 317,618 shares during the last quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International by 0.6% during the first quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 3,981,731 shares of the company’s stock worth $528,694,000 after buying an additional 25,487 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 5.5% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,556,589 shares of the company’s stock valued at $339,464,000 after buying an additional 133,216 shares during the last quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp increased its position in shares of Choice Hotels International by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 965,652 shares of the company’s stock valued at $122,522,000 after acquiring an additional 20,524 shares during the period. Finally, Rock Creek Group LP raised its stake in Choice Hotels International by 52.3% in the 2nd quarter. Rock Creek Group LP now owns 811,579 shares of the company’s stock worth $102,973,000 after acquiring an additional 278,715 shares during the last quarter. 65.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.