Great Lakes Advisors LLC Reduces Holdings in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH)

Great Lakes Advisors LLC cut its position in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) by 6.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,519 shares of the company’s stock after selling 335 shares during the quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC’s holdings in Choice Hotels International were worth $642,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in CHH. Boston Trust Walden Corp grew its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 949,586 shares of the company’s stock valued at $134,822,000 after acquiring an additional 9,490 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings 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 during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Choice Hotels International during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $48,201,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 279,149 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,634,000 after purchasing an additional 2,725 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Erste Asset Management GmbH acquired a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $19,545,000. 65.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Choice Hotels International Stock Performance

CHH stock opened at $130.12 on Monday. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $109.22 and a 1 year high of $157.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.89, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.25. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $144.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $140.44.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.10. Choice Hotels International had a net margin of 18.91% and a negative return on equity of 472.31%. The firm had revenue of $389.77 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $374.24 million. As a group, analysts predict that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 7.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a $0.2875 dividend. This represents a $1.15 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.88%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Choice Hotels International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.46%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $118.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Susquehanna lifted their price target on Choice Hotels International from $130.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Choice Hotels International from $122.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Choice Hotels International from $138.00 to $137.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $140.67.

Insider Buying and Selling at Choice Hotels International

In related news, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 1,780 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.40, for a total value of $257,032.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 32,014 shares in the company, valued at $4,622,821.60. This represents a 5.27 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.30, for a total transaction of $519,050.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 68,913 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,219,797.90. The trade was a 4.83 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 24.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Choice Hotels International

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.