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

CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) shares passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $178.52 and traded as high as $187.90. CRA International shares last traded at $184.04, with a volume of 32,485 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

CRA International Stock Down 1.4 %

The company has a 50-day moving average of $191.30 and a 200 day moving average of $178.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.25 billion, a PE ratio of 29.78, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.14.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The business services provider reported $1.77 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.19. CRA International had a return on equity of 24.46% and a net margin of 6.41%. The firm had revenue of $167.75 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $166.83 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.13 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that CRA International, Inc. will post 7.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CRA International Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 26th were issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 26th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.06%. This is an increase from CRA International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. CRA International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.72%.

Insider Buying and Selling at CRA International

In other news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 14th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $29,060,433.60. This trade represents a 4.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 5.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of CRA International

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Eagle Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in CRA International by 178.8% in 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 purchasing an additional 95,050 shares during the period. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC lifted its stake in CRA International by 41.9% during the third quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 78,136 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $13,699,000 after purchasing an additional 23,078 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in CRA International during the third quarter worth approximately $573,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in CRA International by 102.0% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 5,348 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $938,000 after purchasing an additional 2,700 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in CRA International by 34.9% in the second quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 9,870 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,700,000 after purchasing an additional 2,551 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.