Choice Hotels(US:CHH) ZACKSยท2025-05-09 14:40Core Insights - Choice Hotels International, Inc. (CHH) reported first-quarter 2025 results with earnings and revenues missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate, although both metrics increased year-over-year [1][3] - The company has revised its outlook for 2025, leading to a decline in shares by 3.6% following the earnings release [1][8] Financial Performance - Adjusted EPS for Q1 was $1.34, missing the consensus estimate of $1.38 by 2.9%, compared to $1.28 in the prior-year quarter [3] - Quarterly revenues were $332.9 million, falling short of the consensus mark of $347 million by 4.1%, but increased 0.3% from $331.9 million year-over-year [3] - Domestic RevPAR increased by 230 basis points year-over-year to $46.28 [3] Revenue Streams - Franchise and management fees rose 1.2% year-over-year to $145.1 million [4] - Partnership services and fees increased by 27.9% to $25.4 million, while owned hotels revenue grew 11.5% to $27.9 million [4] - Other revenues from reimbursable costs decreased by 24.4% to $11.2 million and by 4.3% to $123.4 million, respectively [4] - The system-wide effective royalty rate increased by 6 basis points year-over-year to 5.11% [4] Operating Results - Total operating expenses decreased by 6.9% year-over-year to $252.9 million [5] - Adjusted EBITDA was $129.6 million, reflecting a 4.2% year-over-year increase [5] Balance Sheet - As of March 31, 2025, cash and cash equivalents were $40.1 million, slightly down from $40.2 million at the end of 2024 [6] - Long-term debt increased to $1.87 billion from $1.77 billion at the end of 2024 [6] Growth Metrics - The domestic net rooms portfolio grew by 2.3% year-over-year, with upscale, extended stay, and midscale units expanding by 3.6% [7] - The global net rooms portfolio rose by 2.8% to 647,587, while the international net rooms portfolio expanded by 4.4% to 141,986 [7] - The global pipeline includes over 95,000 rooms, with approximately 79,000 in the domestic market [7] 2025 Outlook - The company anticipates adjusted net income between $324 million and $339 million, down from a previous estimate of $333 million to $345 million [8] - Adjusted EBITDA is expected to range from $615 million to $635 million, revised from $625 million to $640 million [8] - Adjusted diluted EPS is projected between $6.90 and $7.22, compared to the prior estimate of $6.98 to $7.24 [8] - Domestic RevPAR growth for 2025 is estimated to range from a decline of 1% to an increase of 1%, revised from an earlier estimate of 1% to 2% [9] - The domestic effective royalty rate is expected to increase in the mid-single digits year-over-year, with global net system room growth estimated at approximately 1% compared to 2024 levels [9]