Alps Advisors Inc. Acquires 12,082 Shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. $CHH

Alps Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) by 42.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 40,577 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,082 shares during the period. Alps Advisors Inc. owned about 0.09% of Choice Hotels International worth $4,338,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International in the first quarter worth about $324,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in Choice Hotels International by 13.3% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 110,031 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,610,000 after purchasing an additional 12,904 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its stake in Choice Hotels International by 8.9% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 108,512 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,408,000 after purchasing an additional 8,887 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC boosted its position in Choice Hotels International by 89.8% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 50,138 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,657,000 after buying an additional 23,726 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS boosted its position in Choice Hotels International by 10.7% in the second quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 8,300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,053,000 after buying an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.57% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Choice Hotels International

In other news, SVP Simone Wu sold 8,080 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.56, for a total value of $820,604.80. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 48,803 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,956,432.68. The trade was a 14.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 24.02% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on CHH. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $120.00 to $118.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Morgan Stanley set a $91.00 price objective on Choice Hotels International in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Weiss Ratings cut Choice Hotels International from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Choice Hotels International from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut Choice Hotels International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $109.15.

Choice Hotels International Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of CHH opened at $107.83 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $99.22 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $104.93. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $84.04 and a 12 month high of $157.86. The company has a market capitalization of $4.99 billion, a PE ratio of 13.25, a PEG ratio of 5.58 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.81.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were given a dividend of $0.2875 per share. This represents a $1.15 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 2nd. Choice Hotels International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 14.13%.

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.