CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) Trading Down 3.9% – Time to Sell?

CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) was down 3.9% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $171.59 and last traded at $170.79. Approximately 6,706 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 82% from the average daily volume of 37,207 shares. The stock had previously closed at $177.68.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Barrington Research upped their target price on CRA International from $212.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 24th.

CRA International Trading Down 3.0 %

The company has a market capitalization of $1.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.57, a PEG ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.09. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $187.22 and a 200 day moving average price of $184.82.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The business services provider reported $2.03 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.44. The firm had revenue of $176.44 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $166.29 million. CRA International had a return on equity of 25.95% and a net margin of 6.79%. On average, research analysts predict that CRA International, Inc. will post 7.52 EPS for the current year.

CRA International Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 4th were issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.14%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 4th. CRA International’s payout ratio is presently 29.08%.

Insider Activity

In other CRA International news, Director Thomas Aiken Avery sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.05, for a total transaction of $199,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 14,669 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,919,864.45. The trade was a 6.38 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.37, for a total value of $398,740.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 153,806 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $30,664,302.22. This represents a 1.28 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 20,850 shares of company stock valued at $3,902,083 in the last ninety days. 5.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of CRA International

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Ameriprise Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of CRA International during the 4th quarter valued at $249,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of CRA International by 6.7% in the 4th quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 3,982 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $745,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CRA International in the 4th quarter valued at about $9,389,000. Foundry Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of CRA International by 56.0% in the 4th quarter. Foundry Partners LLC now owns 29,115 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $5,450,000 after acquiring an additional 10,455 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new position in shares of CRA International during the 4th quarter valued at about $281,000. 84.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.