Xponance Inc. Buys 233 Shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH)

Xponance Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) by 4.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,961 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 233 shares during the quarter. Xponance Inc.’s holdings in Choice Hotels International were worth $704,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Anchor Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Choice Hotels International in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $55,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Choice Hotels International by 55.8% in the fourth quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 430 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ lifted its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International by 836.2% in the fourth quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ now owns 440 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 393 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International during the 3rd quarter worth $63,000. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its stake in Choice Hotels International by 165.5% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $85,000 after buying an additional 374 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.57% of the company’s stock.

Choice Hotels International Stock Performance

Shares of CHH stock opened at $131.55 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $143.70 and a 200-day moving average of $140.63. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $109.22 and a 52-week high of $157.86. The stock has a market cap of $6.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.12, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.25.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.10. Choice Hotels International had a net margin of 18.91% and a negative return on equity of 472.31%. The firm had revenue of $389.77 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $374.24 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 7.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.2875 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.87%. Choice Hotels International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.46%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $122.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Barclays increased their target price on Choice Hotels International from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. StockNews.com downgraded Choice Hotels International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Choice Hotels International from $118.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $131.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Choice Hotels International presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $140.62.

Insider Buying and Selling at Choice Hotels International

In related news, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 1,780 shares of Choice Hotels International stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.40, for a total transaction of $257,032.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 32,014 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,622,821.60. This trade represents a 5.27 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 3,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.30, for a total transaction of $519,050.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 68,913 shares in the company, valued at $10,219,797.90. This represents a 4.83 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 24.02% of the company’s stock.

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.