CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) Reaches New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $210.70 and last traded at $207.54, with a volume of 42518 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $203.93.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barrington Research upped their target price on shares of CRA International from $194.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report 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 Trading Up 0.7 %

The company has a market capitalization of $1.29 billion, a PE ratio of 30.74, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.13. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $192.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $177.58.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The business services provider reported $1.77 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $167.75 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 previous year, the firm posted $1.13 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that CRA International, Inc. will post 7.15 EPS for the current year.

CRA International Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 26th were issued a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 26th. This is a positive change from CRA International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.03%. CRA International’s dividend payout ratio is 31.72%.

Insider Buying and Selling at CRA International

In other CRA International news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.55, for a total value of $1,436,625.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 151,712 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $29,060,433.60. The trade was a 4.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 5.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CRA International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Eagle Asset Management Inc. raised 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 worth $25,986,000 after buying an additional 95,050 shares during the last quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC lifted its position in CRA International by 41.9% in the 3rd quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 78,136 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $13,699,000 after acquiring an additional 23,078 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in CRA International during the 3rd quarter valued at $573,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in shares of 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 valued at $938,000 after buying an additional 2,700 shares during 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 worth $1,700,000 after buying an additional 2,551 shares in the last quarter. 84.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.