Norges Bank Makes New $28.91 Million Investment in Choice Hotels International, Inc. $CHH

Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 303,488 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $28,910,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of CHH. Bamco Inc. NY lifted its position in Choice Hotels International by 7.4% during the third quarter. Bamco Inc. NY now owns 5,359,896 shares of the company’s stock worth $573,026,000 after acquiring an additional 369,244 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in Choice Hotels International by 194.8% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 237,097 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,083,000 after acquiring an additional 156,666 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its position in Choice Hotels International by 57.6% during the second quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 315,969 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,090,000 after acquiring an additional 115,472 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in Choice Hotels International by 77.3% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 262,343 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,047,000 after acquiring an additional 114,411 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG lifted its position in Choice Hotels International by 36.2% during the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 395,139 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,641,000 after acquiring an additional 104,928 shares during the last quarter. 65.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on CHH shares. Robert W. Baird set a $128.00 price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Susquehanna lowered their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $115.00 to $110.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 4th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $112.00 to $100.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $117.00 to $116.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $114.00 target price on shares of Choice Hotels International in a report on Monday, May 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $111.67.

Choice Hotels International Stock Up 2.9%

Shares of CHH opened at $108.52 on Wednesday. Choice Hotels International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $84.04 and a 12 month high of $136.45. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $110.53 and its 200-day moving average is $103.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.94 billion, a PE ratio of 14.63, a P/E/G ratio of 5.04 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.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.35 by ($0.28). The business had revenue of $340.58 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $333.48 million. Choice Hotels International had a return on equity of 281.98% and a net margin of 21.55%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.34 earnings per share. Choice Hotels International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.920-7.140 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Choice Hotels International, Inc. will post 7.11 EPS for the current year.

Choice Hotels International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be paid a $0.2875 dividend. This represents a $1.15 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 1st. Choice Hotels International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 15.50%.

Insider Transactions at Choice Hotels International

In related news, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 1,603 shares of Choice Hotels International stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 37,172 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,717,200. This trade represents a 4.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 24.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Choice Hotels International Profile

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.