Securian Asset Management Inc. Sells 100 Shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH)

Securian Asset Management Inc. cut its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) by 5.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,662 shares of the company’s stock after selling 100 shares during the quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Choice Hotels International were worth $236,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Boston Trust Walden Corp lifted its holdings 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 during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 111,903 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International in the fourth quarter valued at about $48,201,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 279,149 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,634,000 after buying an additional 2,725 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Erste Asset Management GmbH bought a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International in the third quarter valued at about $19,545,000. 65.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Choice Hotels International Trading Down 1.3 %

Choice Hotels International stock opened at $130.63 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.97, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.25. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $109.22 and a 1 year high of $157.86. The business has a 50-day moving average of $144.53 and a 200-day moving average of $140.50.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $389.77 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $374.24 million. Choice Hotels International had a negative return on equity of 472.31% and a net margin of 18.91%. Research analysts anticipate 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 given a $0.2875 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.88%. Choice Hotels International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.46%.

Insider Activity at Choice Hotels International

In related news, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.30, for a total value of $519,050.00. Following the completion of 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 1,780 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $4,622,821.60. This 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.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on CHH. Bank of America lifted their price target on Choice Hotels International from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Choice Hotels International from $138.00 to $137.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on Choice Hotels International from $134.00 to $136.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. StockNews.com cut Choice Hotels International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Choice Hotels International from $150.00 to $152.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $140.67.

Choice Hotels International Company 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.