AlphaQuest LLC Cuts Stock Position in Choice Hotels International, Inc. $CHH

AlphaQuest LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) by 81.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,792 shares of the company’s stock after selling 12,460 shares during the quarter. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in Choice Hotels International were worth $298,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in CHH. Kilter Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International in the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Whittier Trust Co. grew its position in Choice Hotels International by 138.5% in the second quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 291 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 169 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in Choice Hotels International by 23.6% during the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 434 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Choice Hotels International during the third quarter valued at approximately $100,000. Finally, Claret Asset Management Corp raised its position in Choice Hotels International by 6.6% during the second quarter. Claret Asset Management Corp now owns 1,817 shares of the company’s stock valued at $231,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the period. 65.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Simone Wu sold 8,080 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.56, for a total transaction of $820,604.80. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 48,803 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,956,432.68. This trade represents a 14.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 23.78% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley set a $91.00 target price on Choice Hotels International in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Susquehanna dropped their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $140.00 to $95.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $122.00 to $110.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Choice Hotels International from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Choice Hotels International has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $109.15.

Choice Hotels International Stock Performance

CHH stock opened at $109.56 on Monday. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $84.04 and a twelve month high of $157.86. The firm has a market cap of $5.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.46, a PEG ratio of 5.58 and a beta of 0.76. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $98.85 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $105.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.81.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were given a $0.2875 dividend. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 2nd. Choice Hotels International’s payout ratio is 14.13%.

Choice Hotels International Profile

Choice Hotels International, Inc is a hospitality franchisor specializing in the development and support of lodging brands across the economy, midscale and upscale segments. Through a network of franchisees, Choice Hotels supplies proprietary reservation and distribution systems, comprehensive marketing programs, and operational support services. The company’s core activities include brand management, franchise development, and technology-driven revenue optimization tools designed to enhance guest acquisition and retention for its partners.

Founded in 1939 as Quality Courts United, the company rebranded to Choice Hotels International in 1982 to reflect its expanding brand portfolio and global ambitions.