Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) Stock Holdings Lessened by Fenimore Asset Management Inc

Fenimore Asset Management Inc cut its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) by 0.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 176,525 shares of the company’s stock after selling 583 shares during the period. Fenimore Asset Management Inc owned about 0.38% of Choice Hotels International worth $25,063,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Erste Asset Management GmbH purchased a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International during the 3rd quarter valued at $19,545,000. Raymond James & Associates boosted its position in Choice Hotels International by 45.4% during the third quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 364,983 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,557,000 after purchasing an additional 113,951 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Choice Hotels International by 38.5% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 402,293 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,419,000 after purchasing an additional 111,903 shares in the last quarter. Stifel Financial Corp increased its position in Choice Hotels International by 31.4% in the 3rd quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 143,783 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,735,000 after purchasing an additional 34,396 shares during the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $42,280,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.57% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Patrick Pacious sold 7,192 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.95, for a total transaction of $1,042,480.40. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 404,666 shares in the company, valued at approximately $58,656,336.70. The trade was a 1.75 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 24.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Choice Hotels International Stock Performance

Choice Hotels International stock opened at $145.87 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $144.63 and its 200-day simple moving average is $135.19. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $108.91 and a 52 week high of $153.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.84 billion, a PE ratio of 27.95, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.24.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $2.23 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.92 by $0.31. The company had revenue of $428.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $432.62 million. Choice Hotels International had a negative return on equity of 659.01% and a net margin of 16.27%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.82 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 6.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.2875 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.79%. Choice Hotels International’s payout ratio is 22.03%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on CHH. StockNews.com upgraded Choice Hotels International from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $138.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $122.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Choice Hotels International in a report on Thursday, December 5th. They issued an “underweight” rating and a $133.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Choice Hotels International from $150.00 to $152.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $133.27.

Choice Hotels International 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.