Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Sells 14,979 Shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. $CHH

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lessened its holdings in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) by 2.4% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 612,847 shares of the company’s stock after selling 14,979 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP’s holdings in Choice Hotels International were worth $63,426,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new stake in Choice Hotels International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 77.4% in the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 392 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in shares of Choice Hotels International by 6,416.7% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 391 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 385 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Institutional investors own 65.57% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 2,000 shares of Choice Hotels International stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 35,172 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,868,920. The trade was a 5.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 23.87% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on CHH shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Choice Hotels International from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Susquehanna reduced their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $115.00 to $110.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $87.00 to $86.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $129.00 to $128.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $128.00 target price on shares of Choice Hotels International in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Choice Hotels International presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $111.00.

Choice Hotels International Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE CHH opened at $111.73 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $110.84 and its 200 day simple moving average is $108.28. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a one year low of $84.04 and a one year high of $129.88. The firm has a market cap of $5.08 billion, a PE ratio of 15.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.43 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.58, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.95.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.35 by ($0.28). The business had revenue of $340.57 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $333.48 million. Choice Hotels International had a net margin of 21.55% and a return on equity of 281.98%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.34 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 7.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st were paid a $0.2875 dividend. The ex-dividend date was 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 (DPR) is 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.