Quantbot Technologies LP Grows Position in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH)

Quantbot Technologies LP increased its position in shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) by 154.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 41,078 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 24,955 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP owned approximately 0.09% of Choice Hotels International worth $5,832,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in CHH. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International during the 4th quarter worth about $48,201,000. Erste Asset Management GmbH bought a new stake in Choice Hotels International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $19,545,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 38.5% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 402,293 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,419,000 after buying an additional 111,903 shares in the last quarter. Stifel Financial Corp lifted its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 31.4% during the 3rd quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 143,783 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,735,000 after buying an additional 34,396 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas bought a new stake in Choice Hotels International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,691,000. 65.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on CHH shares. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $130.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $150.00 to $152.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $138.00 to $137.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Choice Hotels International has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $141.33.

Choice Hotels International Stock Down 0.3 %

NYSE CHH opened at $129.65 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $6.06 billion, a PE ratio of 20.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.25. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $109.22 and a 52 week high of $157.86. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $143.92 and a 200 day moving average price of $140.38.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $389.77 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $374.24 million. Choice Hotels International had a net margin of 18.91% and a negative return on equity of 472.31%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 7.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Choice Hotels International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $0.2875 per share. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.89%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Choice Hotels International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.46%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 3,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.30, for a total value of $519,050.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 68,913 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,219,797.90. This represents a 4.83 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 1,780 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 32,014 shares in the company, valued at $4,622,821.60. This trade represents a 5.27 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 24.02% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.