Erste Asset Management GmbH Grows Position in Choice Hotels International, Inc. $CHH

Erste Asset Management GmbH lifted its stake in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) by 28.2% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 250,000 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 55,000 shares during the quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in Choice Hotels International were worth $23,815,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of CHH. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. bought a new stake in Choice Hotels International in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Choice Hotels International in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in Choice Hotels International by 77.4% in the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 392 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new stake in Choice Hotels International in the third quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd bought a new stake in Choice Hotels International in the fourth quarter worth $42,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.57% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Choice Hotels International

In other news, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 1,603 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total value of $160,300.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 37,172 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,717,200. This represents a 4.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 24.02% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently weighed in on CHH. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $114.00 price target on shares of Choice Hotels International in a research report on Monday, May 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $117.00 to $116.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $87.00 to $86.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Choice Hotels International from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $128.00 price target on shares of Choice Hotels International in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $111.67.

Choice Hotels International Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of CHH opened at $109.76 on Monday. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $84.04 and a twelve month high of $136.45. The company has a market cap of $4.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.79, a P/E/G ratio of 2.02 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. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $110.30 and its 200-day simple moving average is $103.49.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last announced 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 net margin of 21.55% and a return on equity of 281.98%. The firm had revenue of $340.58 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $333.48 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.34 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Choice Hotels International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.920-7.140 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 7.14 EPS for the current year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

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