CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) Stock Price Passes Above 200 Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $177.72 and traded as high as $190.27. CRA International shares last traded at $188.73, with a volume of 16,316 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

CRA International Price Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average price is $192.22 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $177.72. The company has a market capitalization of $1.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 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 the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $167.75 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $166.83 million. CRA International had a net margin of 6.41% and a return on equity of 24.46%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.13 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that CRA International, Inc. will post 7.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CRA International Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 26th were issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. This is a boost from CRA International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 26th. CRA International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.72%.

Insider Activity at CRA International

In related news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of the firm’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 transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 151,712 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $29,060,433.60. This trade represents a 4.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 5.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of CRA International

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CRAI. Eagle Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of CRA International by 178.8% during the 3rd quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. now owns 148,221 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $25,986,000 after acquiring an additional 95,050 shares during the period. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC raised its stake in CRA International by 41.9% in the third quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 78,136 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $13,699,000 after purchasing an additional 23,078 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in CRA International during the third quarter worth about $573,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in CRA International by 102.0% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 5,348 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $938,000 after buying an additional 2,700 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in CRA International by 34.9% in the 2nd quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 9,870 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,700,000 after buying an additional 2,551 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 84.13% of the company’s stock.

CRA International Company Profile

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.