KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Takes Position in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new stake in shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 7,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,122,000.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in CHH. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 13,228 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,878,000 after acquiring an additional 242 shares in the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP raised its position in shares of Choice Hotels International by 154.8% during the fourth quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 41,078 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,832,000 after purchasing an additional 24,955 shares during the period. Sciencast Management LP lifted its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 82.3% in the 4th quarter. Sciencast Management LP now owns 6,678 shares of the company’s stock worth $948,000 after purchasing an additional 3,014 shares in the last quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC acquired a new stake in Choice Hotels International in the 4th quarter valued at $65,000. Finally, Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Choice Hotels International during the 4th quarter valued at $62,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.57% of the company’s stock.

Choice Hotels International Stock Performance

CHH stock opened at $131.35 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $142.97 and a 200-day moving average of $140.94. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $109.22 and a fifty-two week high of $157.86. The company has a market capitalization of $6.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.08, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.25.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $374.24 million. Equities analysts predict that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 7.07 EPS for the current year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 0.88%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Choice Hotels International’s payout ratio is currently 18.46%.

Insider Activity

In other 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 sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 32,014 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,622,821.60. This represents a 5.27 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Dominic Dragisich sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,219,797.90. This represents 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.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CHH has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Barclays raised their price objective on Choice Hotels International from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. StockNews.com lowered shares of Choice Hotels International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 15th. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $150.00 to $152.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Susquehanna upped their target price on Choice Hotels International from $130.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $140.62.

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.