Federated Hermes Inc. Sells 80,218 Shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. $CHH

Federated Hermes Inc. lowered its position in shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) by 97.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,846 shares of the company’s stock after selling 80,218 shares during the quarter. Federated Hermes Inc.’s holdings in Choice Hotels International were worth $197,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International during the first quarter worth $324,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 13.3% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 110,031 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,610,000 after purchasing an additional 12,904 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International by 8.9% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 108,512 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,408,000 after purchasing an additional 8,887 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 89.8% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 50,138 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,657,000 after purchasing an additional 23,726 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS lifted its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 10.7% in the second quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 8,300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,053,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 65.57% of the company’s stock.

Choice Hotels International Stock Down 1.3%

CHH opened at $107.83 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $99.22 and a 200-day moving average of $104.93. The company has a market capitalization of $4.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.25, a P/E/G ratio of 5.58 and a beta of 0.76. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $84.04 and a fifty-two week high of $157.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.81, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 0.96.

Choice Hotels International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were issued a $0.2875 dividend. This represents a $1.15 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 2nd. Choice Hotels International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.13%.

Insider Activity

In other Choice Hotels International news, SVP Simone Wu sold 8,080 shares of Choice Hotels International stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.56, for a total value of $820,604.80. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 48,803 shares in the company, valued at $4,956,432.68. The trade was a 14.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 24.02% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 16th. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $120.00 to $118.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted 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 report on Tuesday, February 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Choice Hotels International from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $109.15.

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.