Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:WH – Get Free Report)’s share price was up 5.6% during mid-day trading on Thursday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock traded as high as $76.45 and last traded at $76.01. Approximately 340,407 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 49% from the average daily volume of 661,490 shares. The stock had previously closed at $71.96.
The company reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.75 by $0.03. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts had a return on equity of 39.91% and a net margin of 20.74%. The company had revenue of $305.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $308.24 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.86 earnings per share. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’s revenue was down 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Increases Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 15th were paid a $0.38 dividend. This is a boost from Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 14th. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.71%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
WH has been the subject of several recent research reports. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts in a research note on Friday, April 19th. They set a “hold” rating for the company. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts from $87.00 to $86.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 19th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts from $90.00 to $87.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $88.00.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other Wyndham Hotels & Resorts news, CAO Nicola Rossi sold 3,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.00, for a total transaction of $252,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 11,404 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $900,916. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 2.79% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its stake in Wyndham Hotels & Resorts by 80.1% in the first quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 32,498 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,494,000 after purchasing an additional 14,457 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System raised its stake in Wyndham Hotels & Resorts by 2.6% during the 1st quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 23,900 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,834,000 after buying an additional 600 shares during the period. PFG Investments LLC bought a new position in Wyndham Hotels & Resorts in the first quarter worth approximately $270,000. Raymond James & Associates grew its stake in Wyndham Hotels & Resorts by 17.9% in the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 67,437 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,176,000 after acquiring an additional 10,224 shares during the period. Finally, State of Michigan Retirement System increased its holdings in shares of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts by 2.0% during the first quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 20,353 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,562,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. 93.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Trading Up 4.7 %
The firm has a market cap of $6.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 1.35. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $75.59 and its 200-day moving average is $76.67. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.90.
About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc operates as a hotel franchisor in the United States and internationally. It operates through Hotel Franchising and Hotel Management segments. The Hotel Franchising segment licenses its lodging brands and provides related services to third-party hotel owners and others.