Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Invests $621,000 in Choice Hotels International, Inc. $CHH

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new position in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 6,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $621,000.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International in the first quarter worth $324,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International by 13.3% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 110,031 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,610,000 after purchasing an additional 12,904 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 8.9% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 108,512 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,408,000 after purchasing an additional 8,887 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 89.8% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 50,138 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,657,000 after purchasing an additional 23,726 shares during the period. Finally, Prudential Financial Inc. grew its position in Choice Hotels International by 35.2% in the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 2,139 shares of the company’s stock valued at $299,000 after buying an additional 557 shares in the last quarter. 65.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Susquehanna reduced their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $115.00 to $110.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $112.00 to $100.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Robert W. Baird set a $128.00 target price on Choice Hotels International in a report on Monday, May 11th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Choice Hotels International from $87.00 to $86.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Choice Hotels International from $117.00 to $116.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $111.67.

Insider Activity at Choice Hotels International

In other news, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.00, for a total value of $220,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 35,172 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,868,920. This trade represents a 5.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 24.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Choice Hotels International Price Performance

CHH stock opened at $111.02 on Wednesday. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a one year low of $84.04 and a one year high of $136.45. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $110.23 and a two-hundred day moving average of $106.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.05 billion, a PE ratio of 14.96, a P/E/G ratio of 5.15 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.58.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.35 by ($0.28). Choice Hotels International had a return on equity of 281.98% and a net margin of 21.55%.The firm had revenue of $340.57 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $333.48 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.34 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. Choice Hotels International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.920-7.140 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 7.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be issued a $0.2875 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 1st. This represents a $1.15 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Choice Hotels International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 15.50%.

About Choice Hotels International

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.