Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) Upgraded to Hold at Mizuho

Mizuho upgraded shares of Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) to a hold rating in a report issued on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports.

CHH has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Susquehanna increased their target price on shares of Choice Hotels International from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Choice Hotels International from $101.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Choice Hotels International in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Choice Hotels International from $86.00 to $91.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Choice Hotels International from $98.00 to $99.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $112.23.

Choice Hotels International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CHH opened at $108.69 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.08, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 0.93. Choice Hotels International has a 52 week low of $84.04 and a 52 week high of $123.82. The firm has a market cap of $4.89 billion, a PE ratio of 15.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.47 and a beta of 0.67. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $109.63 and its 200-day moving average is $108.56.

Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.05. Choice Hotels International had a return on equity of 205.69% and a net margin of 20.28%.The firm had revenue of $440.76 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $436.48 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.92 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Choice Hotels International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.860-7.100 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Choice Hotels International will post 6.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Choice Hotels International

In other news, CFO Scott E. Oaksmith sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.00, for a total transaction of $220,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 35,172 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,868,920. This represents a 5.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director William L. Jews sold 5,057 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.98, for a total value of $540,997.86. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 23,987 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,566,129.26. The trade was a 17.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 23.87% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Choice Hotels International

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Corient Private Wealth LP lifted its holdings in shares of Choice Hotels International by 8.0% in the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 13,461 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,484,000 after purchasing an additional 995 shares in the last quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new stake in Choice Hotels International during the 2nd quarter valued at $584,000. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its holdings in Choice Hotels International by 9,525.7% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 3,184,377 shares of the company’s stock worth $351,141,000 after buying an additional 3,151,295 shares during the last quarter. AlphaGrep UK Ltd acquired a new position in Choice Hotels International during the second quarter worth $361,000. Finally, Syon Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Choice Hotels International by 20.2% in the second quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 5,404 shares of the company’s stock valued at $596,000 after buying an additional 907 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.57% of the company’s stock.

Choice Hotels International News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Choice Hotels International this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Choice Hotels recently exceeded expectations in its latest reported quarter, earning $2.02 per share versus the $1.97 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 3.4% year over year to $440.76 million. The company’s FY2026 guidance remains $6.86–$7.10 per share, providing some support despite the newer estimate cuts.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered its FY2026 EPS forecast to $6.93 from $7.08, below the current consensus estimate of $6.99. It also reduced estimates for third-quarter 2026 EPS to $2.24 from $2.35 and fourth-quarter EPS to $1.60 from $1.73.
• Negative Sentiment: The downward revisions extend into 2027: Q1 EPS was cut to $1.12 from $1.22, Q2 to $1.93 from $2.08, Q3 to $2.27 from $2.38, and Q4 to $1.75 from $1.88. Zacks reduced its full-year 2027 forecast to $7.06 from $7.56.
• Negative Sentiment: Longer-term expectations also weakened, with Q1 2028 EPS reduced to $1.24 from $1.34, Q2 to $2.12 from $2.27, and FY2028 EPS to $7.60 from $8.10. The broad-based nature of the cuts is the main bearish catalyst for CHH today.

Choice Hotels International Company 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.