Choice Hotels International, Inc (NYSE:CHH) Executes AI-Led Transition After CEO Exit

Leadership turnover and accelerated AI deployments frame a near-term operational reset, while mixed fundamentals and stretched valuation keep upside conditional on execution.

Recent News

On May 20, 2026 the company announced Patrick Pacious will step down as President and CEO and Dominic Dragisich will serve as Interim CEO while the Board conducts a search. On May 6, 2026 Choice held its 70th annual convention highlighting franchise development and international pipeline expansion. On April 20 and May 7, 2026 the company announced new enterprise AI initiatives and technology integrations intended to boost owner revenue and operating efficiency. April 13, 2026 brought a Sleep Inn brand redesign and new openings; early June releases covered a new CTO appointment and a Sleep Inn “Local Favorites” breakfast program.

Technical Analysis

ADX sits at 14.2, indicating no established trend; recent directional indicator signals, however, point toward an early bullish rotation as DI+ registers a dip & reversal (bullish) and DI- records a peak & reversal (bullish). Together these suggest a shift in directional bias without an entrenched trend, so any sustained move requires follow-through volume or momentum confirmation.

MACD reads -0.33 with a dip & reversal in momentum; the MACD line remains below the signal (-0.03), so momentum appears to be recovering but lacks a bullish crossover. A confirmed MACD crossover above the signal line would materially strengthen the near-term upside case.

MRO stands at -27.75 (dip & reversal), indicating price sits below WMDST’s target and therefore implies potential upward pressure; magnitude suggests meaningful room for mean reversion if technical momentum supports it.

RSI at 51.66 with a dip & reversal places the market near neutral-to-positive territory, consistent with a market that can rally if catalysts align but remains vulnerable without trend confirmation.

Price sits around $109.56, near the 20-day average ($109.60) and above the 200-day average ($103.47). Short-term moving averages hover just above price (50-day $110.39), creating a tight band; Bollinger bands show moderate volatility (20-day stdev $3.64). Overall, short-term indicators point to range-bound action with a modest upside bias contingent on a MACD crossover and improved volume.

 


Fundamental Analysis

Revenue and profitability show contraction: revenue growth stands at -12.71% (QoQ -0.60%), and operating margin equals 17.70% but fell roughly 33.75% QoQ and 27.28% YoY. EBIT margin equals 15.94%, down about 38.62% QoQ and 34.52% YoY; that margin sits below the industry peer mean (24.15%) and below the industry peer median (22.75%).

EPS came in at $1.07 versus an estimate of $1.32, an EPS surprise of -18.94%, and forward EPS equals $1.916. Trailing P/E reads about 246.07 while forward P/E equals 52.82, indicating expectations fall with forward estimates but trailing valuation remains elevated compared with the industry peer mean and median; the P/E sits above the industry peer mean (93.50) and median (108.36) but below the industry peer high (285.28).

Balance sheet and cash-flow dynamics show leverage and working-capital pressure: total debt equals $2,109,620,000 versus total equity $137,427,000 (debt-to-equity ~15.35x, or ~1,535%), and debt-to-assets at 71.64%. Operating cash flow registered -$23,174,000 and free cash flow equaled -$50,058,000 with a free cash flow yield of -1.01%. Interest coverage sits at 2.26x, reflecting constrained buffer against rising interest costs.

Returns remain mixed: return on equity stands at 14.77% while return on assets measures 0.69%, and gross margin at 45.55% remains healthy. Earnings growth shows a negative near-term reading (-72.50%) while reported year-over-year earnings growth metrics show strong year-over-year comparisons in the provided fields; reconcilement requires attention to timing and non-recurring items disclosed in the company filings.

Valuation context: market cap equals $4,954,088,754 and enterprise value approximates $7,019,836,754 with an enterprise multiple near 92.11. Given stretched price multiples, negative free cash flow, and heavy leverage, WMDST values the stock as over-valued; upside depends on margin recovery, cash-flow improvement, and successful execution of the AI and franchise expansion initiatives announced in recent weeks.

MOST-RECENT QUARTERLY REPORT
REPORT PERIOD ENDING: 2026-03-31
REPORT DATE: 2026-04-30
NEXT REPORT DATE: 2026-07-30
CASH FLOW  Begin Period Cash Flow 45.0 M
 Operating Cash Flow -23.17 M
 Capital Expenditures -26.88 M
 Change In Working Capital -56.30 M
 Dividends Paid -13.12 M
 Cash Flow Delta -1.12 M
 End Period Cash Flow 43.9 M
 
INCOME STATEMENT REVENUE
 Total Revenue 340.6 M
 Forward Revenue 366.6 M
COSTS
 Cost Of Revenue 185.4 M
 Depreciation 21.9 M
 Depreciation and Amortization 21.9 M
 Research and Development
 Total Operating Expenses 280.3 M
PROFITABILITY
 Gross Profit 155.1 M
 EBITDA 76.2 M
 EBIT 54.3 M
 Operating Income 60.3 M
 Interest Income 1.2 M
 Interest Expense 24.0 M
 Net Interest Income -22.75 M
 Income Before Tax 30.3 M
 Tax Provision 10.0 M
 Tax Rate 33.0 %
 Net Income 20.3 M
 Net Income From Continuing Operations 20.3 M
EARNINGS
 EPS Estimate 1.32
 EPS Actual 1.07
 EPS Difference -0.25
 EPS Surprise -18.939 %
 Forward EPS 1.92
 
BALANCE SHEET ASSETS
 Total Assets 2.9 B
 Intangible Assets 1.4 B
 Net Tangible Assets -1.26 B
 Total Current Assets 410.8 M
 Cash and Short-Term Investments 43.9 M
 Cash 43.9 M
 Net Receivables 243.5 M
 Inventory
 Long-Term Investments 121.8 M
LIABILITIES
 Accounts Payable 146.2 M
 Short-Term Debt
 Total Current Liabilities 434.0 M
 Net Debt 2.0 B
 Total Debt 2.1 B
 Total Liabilities 2.8 B
EQUITY
 Total Equity 137.4 M
 Retained Earnings 2.3 B
VALUATION & PER-SHARE METRICS EQUITY & PER-SHARE METRICS
 Book Value Per-Share 3.00
 Shares Outstanding 45.617 M
 Revenue Per-Share 7.44
VALUATION
 Market Capitalization 5.0 B
 Enterprise Value 7.0 B
 Enterprise Multiple 92.114
Enterprise Multiple QoQ 69.253 %
Enterprise Multiple YoY 13.548 %
Enterprise Multiple IPRWA high: 205.993
CHH: 92.114
mean: 83.548
median: 78.132
low: -109.403
 EV/R 20.612
CAPITAL STRUCTURE
 Asset To Equity 21.427
 Asset To Liability 1.049
 Debt To Capital 0.939
 Debt To Assets 0.716
Debt To Assets QoQ 3.375 %
Debt To Assets YoY -7.064 %
Debt To Assets IPRWA high: 1.622
CHH: 0.716
mean: 0.664
median: 0.625
low: 0.003
 Debt To Equity 15.351
Debt To Equity QoQ 37.557 %
Debt To Equity YoY -149.391 %
Debt To Equity IPRWA CHH: 15.351
high: 12.878
mean: 0.38
median: 0.371
low: -7.932
PRICE-BASED VALUATION
 Price To Book (P/B) 36.049
Price To Book QoQ 37.994 %
Price To Book YoY -137.561 %
Price To Book IPRWA CHH: 36.049
high: 18.76
median: 10.414
mean: 6.202
low: -12.586
 Price To Earnings (P/E) 246.067
Price To Earnings QoQ 227.518 %
Price To Earnings YoY 150.352 %
Price To Earnings IPRWA high: 285.278
CHH: 246.067
median: 108.358
mean: 93.497
low: -170.635
 PE/G Ratio -3.394
 Price To Sales (P/S) 14.546
Price To Sales QoQ 19.874 %
Price To Sales YoY -21.092 %
Price To Sales IPRWA high: 33.432
median: 25.858
mean: 22.416
CHH: 14.546
low: 0.178
FORWARD MULTIPLES
Forward P/E 52.822
Forward PE/G -0.729
Forward P/S 13.386
EFFICIENCY OPERATIONAL
 Operating Leverage 3.653
ASSET & SALES
 Asset Turnover Ratio 0.116
Asset Turnover Ratio QoQ -13.26 %
Asset Turnover Ratio YoY -10.857 %
Asset Turnover Ratio IPRWA high: 0.683
mean: 0.178
CHH: 0.116
median: 0.109
low: 0.078
 Receivables Turnover 1.51
Receivables Turnover Ratio QoQ -14.064 %
Receivables Turnover Ratio YoY -15.846 %
Receivables Turnover Ratio IPRWA high: 51.203
mean: 7.593
median: 2.661
CHH: 1.51
low: 1.107
 Inventory Turnover
Inventory Turnover Ratio QoQ
Inventory Turnover Ratio YoY
Inventory Turnover Ratio IPRWA
 Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) 60.418
CASH CYCLE
 Cash Conversion Cycle Days (CCC) -14.864
Cash Conversion Cycle Days QoQ -8.063 %
Cash Conversion Cycle Days YoY 120.346 %
Cash Conversion Cycle Days IPRWA high: 38.929
median: -2.211
mean: -5.552
CHH: -14.864
low: -124.383
CAPITAL DEPLOYMENT
 Cash Conversion Ratio -14.671
 CapEx To Revenue -0.079
 CapEx To Depreciation -1.226
 
CAPITAL, LIQUIDITY & COVERAGE CAPITAL STRUCTURE
 Total Capital 2.1 B
 Net Invested Capital 2.1 B
 Invested Capital 2.1 B
 Net Tangible Assets -1.26 B
 Net Working Capital -23.21 M
LIQUIDITY
 Cash Ratio 0.101
 Current Ratio 0.947
Current Ratio QoQ 8.941 %
Current Ratio YoY 12.941 %
Current Ratio IPRWA high: 2.493
mean: 0.966
CHH: 0.947
median: 0.933
low: 0.26
 Quick Ratio
Quick Ratio QoQ
Quick Ratio YoY
Quick Ratio IPRWA
COVERAGE & LEVERAGE
 Debt To EBITDA 27.682
 Cost Of Debt 0.777 %
 Interest Coverage Ratio 2.265
Interest Coverage Ratio QoQ -47.046 %
Interest Coverage Ratio YoY -40.606 %
Interest Coverage Ratio IPRWA high: 21.267
mean: 8.829
median: 7.355
CHH: 2.265
low: -13.758
 Operating Cash Flow Ratio -0.009
TIMING / LIQUIDITY
 Days Payables Outstanding (DPO) 75.282
DIVIDENDS
 Dividend Coverage Ratio 1.548
 Dividend Payout Ratio 0.646
 Dividend Rate 0.29
 Dividend Yield 0.003
PERFORMANCE GROWTH
 Asset Growth Rate 0.904 %
 Revenue Growth -12.707 %
Revenue Growth QoQ -0.602 %
Revenue Growth YoY -12.972 %
Revenue Growth IPRWA high: 34.416 %
mean: -4.62 %
median: -7.006 %
CHH: -12.707 %
low: -26.819 %
 Earnings Growth -72.5 %
Earnings Growth QoQ 108.561 %
Earnings Growth YoY 435.134 %
Earnings Growth IPRWA high: 233.333 %
median: -9.295 %
mean: -9.678 %
CHH: -72.5 %
low: -200.0 %
MARGINS
 Gross Margin 45.551 %
Gross Margin QoQ -14.079 %
Gross Margin YoY -9.743 %
Gross Margin IPRWA high: 78.305 %
CHH: 45.551 %
mean: 41.803 %
median: 39.043 %
low: -0.222 %
 EBIT Margin 15.935 %
EBIT Margin QoQ -38.617 %
EBIT Margin YoY -34.521 %
EBIT Margin IPRWA high: 45.143 %
mean: 24.154 %
median: 22.748 %
CHH: 15.935 %
low: -24.703 %
 Return On Sales (ROS) 17.697 %
Return On Sales QoQ -33.749 %
Return On Sales YoY -27.281 %
Return On Sales IPRWA high: 44.253 %
mean: 24.148 %
median: 23.583 %
CHH: 17.697 %
low: -45.058 %
CASH FLOW
 Free Cash Flow (FCF) -50.06 M
 Free Cash Flow Yield -1.01 %
Free Cash Flow Yield QoQ -191.735 %
Free Cash Flow Yield YoY 142.788 %
Free Cash Flow Yield IPRWA high: 5.154 %
mean: 0.972 %
median: 0.794 %
CHH: -1.01 %
low: -7.886 %
 Free Cash Growth -196.027 %
Free Cash Growth QoQ -779.847 %
Free Cash Growth YoY 33.089 %
Free Cash Growth IPRWA high: 371.18 %
mean: 30.452 %
median: 5.617 %
CHH: -196.027 %
low: -450.0 %
 Free Cash To Net Income -2.465
 Cash Flow Margin -1.134 %
 Cash Flow To Earnings -0.19
VALUE & RETURNS
 Economic Value Added 0.03
 Return On Assets (ROA) 0.693 %
Return On Assets QoQ -68.298 %
Return On Assets YoY -60.264 %
Return On Assets IPRWA high: 7.852 %
mean: 2.479 %
median: 2.339 %
CHH: 0.693 %
low: -1.371 %
 Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) 2.162 %
 Return On Equity (ROE) 0.148
Return On Equity QoQ -57.956 %
Return On Equity YoY -121.21 %
Return On Equity IPRWA high: 0.315
CHH: 0.148
median: 0.021
mean: 0.011
low: -0.198
 DuPont ROE 12.744 %
 Return On Invested Capital (ROIC) 1.698 %
Return On Invested Capital QoQ -57.358 %
Return On Invested Capital YoY -49.055 %
Return On Invested Capital IPRWA high: 18.09 %
mean: 6.299 %
median: 5.912 %
CHH: 1.698 %
low: -2.438 %

Six-Week Outlook

Expect range-bound price action with a modest upside bias tied to execution of AI/technology rollouts and clarity from the CEO search. Technical setup requires a MACD crossover and rising ADX above 20 to confirm a durable trend; absent those, price likely oscillates between the nearby support formed by the 200-day average and short-term resistance near the 50-day average. Monitor operating cash flow and any near-term corporate updates for catalysts that could convert the current conditional upside into a sustained move.

About Choice Hotels International, Inc.

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) develops a robust portfolio of hotel brands catering to a wide range of travelers. Headquartered in North Bethesda, Maryland, the company traces its origins back to 1939. Choice Hotels manages a diverse array of brands, including Comfort Inn, Quality, Sleep Inn, and Cambria Hotels, ensuring accommodations that meet various price points and preferences. The company operates through its Hotel Franchising & Management and Corporate & Other segments, effectively expanding its presence both domestically and internationally. Choice Hotels emphasizes delivering exceptional hospitality experiences by leveraging advanced technology and innovative solutions to enhance guest satisfaction. In addition to its core brands, Choice Hotels includes Radisson Blu, Ascend Hotel Collection, and Econo Lodge in its extensive portfolio, each offering distinct experiences tailored to different traveler needs. The company prioritizes creating memorable stays by combining comfort, convenience, and value. As a leader in the hospitality industry, Choice Hotels International continues to influence the sector’s future with a steadfast commitment to excellence and a guest-centric approach.



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