Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Morgan Stanley Analyst Says

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) had its price objective upped by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $83.00 to $87.00 in a report released on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has an “underweight” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley’s price objective suggests a potential downside of 22.44% from the company’s previous close.

CHH has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Choice Hotels International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Choice Hotels International from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $98.00 to $101.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Argus reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Choice Hotels International in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $120.00 to $118.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $108.42.

Choice Hotels International Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:CHH opened at $112.17 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.16, a PEG ratio of 4.98 and a beta of 0.74. Choice Hotels International has a 1-year low of $84.04 and a 1-year high of $136.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.52, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.87. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $104.28 and a 200 day moving average price of $100.24.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported $1.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.56 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $390.15 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $369.26 million. Choice Hotels International had a net margin of 23.17% and a return on equity of 541.07%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.55 earnings per share. Choice Hotels International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.920-7.140 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Choice Hotels International will post 7.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Choice Hotels International news, SVP Simone Wu sold 8,080 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.56, for a total value of $820,604.80. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 48,803 shares in the company, valued at $4,956,432.68. This represents a 14.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 1,603 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total transaction of $160,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 37,172 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,717,200. The trade was a 4.13% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 10,283 shares of company stock valued at $1,040,947. Insiders own 23.78% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Choice Hotels International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Teza Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Choice Hotels International by 5.0% in the 2nd quarter. Teza Capital Management LLC now owns 2,051 shares of the company’s stock worth $260,000 after buying an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp raised its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 9,174 shares of the company’s stock valued at $874,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina raised its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 12,626 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,602,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 77.4% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 392 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH raised its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 10,931 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,041,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.57% of the company’s stock.

Choice Hotels International Company 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.