CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) Reaches New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $216.88 and last traded at $216.88, with a volume of 765 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $192.62.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on CRAI shares. Barrington Research increased their price target on CRA International from $194.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. StockNews.com downgraded CRA International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st.

CRA International Stock Performance

The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $184.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $174.47. The firm has a market cap of $1.31 billion, a PE ratio of 31.37, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.13.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The business services provider reported $1.77 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.58 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $167.75 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $166.83 million. CRA International had a return on equity of 24.46% and a net margin of 6.41%. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.13 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that CRA International, Inc. will post 7.08 earnings per share for the current year.

CRA International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 26th will be given a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.01%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 26th. This is a boost from CRA International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. CRA International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.18%.

Insider Buying and Selling at CRA International

In other news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.55, for a total transaction of $1,436,625.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 151,712 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $29,060,433.60. This represents a 4.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 5.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CRAI. Swedbank AB bought a new position in shares of CRA International during the first quarter valued at approximately $26,924,000. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of CRA International by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 161,208 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $28,268,000 after purchasing an additional 1,559 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of CRA International by 178.8% during the third quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. now owns 148,221 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $25,986,000 after buying an additional 95,050 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in CRA International by 2.9% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 61,153 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $10,532,000 after buying an additional 1,705 shares during the period. Finally, Foundry Partners LLC boosted its position in CRA International by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Foundry Partners LLC now owns 18,660 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,271,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.13% of the company’s stock.

About CRA International

CRA International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides economic, financial, and management consulting services worldwide. It advises clients on economic and financial matters pertaining to litigation and regulatory proceedings; and guides corporations through business strategy and performance-related issues.