Alps Advisors Inc. Purchases 12,082 Shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. $CHH

Alps Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) by 42.4% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 40,577 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,082 shares during the quarter. Alps Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Choice Hotels International were worth $4,338,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kilter Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Whittier Trust Co. increased its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 138.5% in the second quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 291 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 169 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in Choice Hotels International by 23.6% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 434 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the period. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Choice Hotels International in the third quarter valued at approximately $100,000. Finally, Claret Asset Management Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 6.6% during the 2nd quarter. Claret Asset Management Corp now owns 1,817 shares of the company’s stock worth $231,000 after buying an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. 65.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on CHH. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. 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. UBS Group decreased their price target 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. Argus reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Choice Hotels International in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $91.00 price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $109.15.

Insider Buying and Selling at Choice Hotels International

In related news, SVP Simone Wu sold 8,080 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,956,432.68. This trade represents a 14.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 24.02% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Choice Hotels International Stock Performance

Shares of CHH stock opened at $107.83 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.99 billion, a PE ratio of 13.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.58 and a beta of 0.76. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $99.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $104.93. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.81. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $84.04 and a 12 month high of $157.86.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were given a dividend of $0.2875 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Choice Hotels International’s payout ratio is presently 14.13%.

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.