CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) Hits New 1-Year High at $150.93

CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $150.93 and last traded at $149.58, with a volume of 67837 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $145.99.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of CRA International from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 4th.

CRA International Stock Up 2.5 %

The business’s 50 day moving average is $121.58 and its 200-day moving average is $106.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.14, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.21.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 29th. The business services provider reported $1.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.53. The business had revenue of $161.61 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $149.51 million. CRA International had a net margin of 6.17% and a return on equity of 19.01%. Research analysts forecast that CRA International, Inc. will post 5.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CRA International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 12th were paid a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 11th. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.12%. CRA International’s payout ratio is presently 31.11%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of CRA International stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.66, for a total transaction of $1,039,950.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 170,280 shares in the company, valued at $23,611,024.80. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.66, for a total value of $1,039,950.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 170,280 shares in the company, valued at $23,611,024.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 1,250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.62, for a total transaction of $170,775.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 21,587 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,949,215.94. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 10,750 shares of company stock valued at $1,487,085. 5.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CRA International

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of CRA International by 12.7% during the fourth quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 4,615 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $456,000 after purchasing an additional 519 shares during the period. Dearborn Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of CRA International by 46.2% during the third quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC now owns 7,928 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $799,000 after purchasing an additional 2,504 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC raised its holdings in shares of CRA International by 58.1% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC now owns 2,614 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $232,000 after purchasing an additional 961 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of CRA International during the third quarter valued at about $229,000. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. raised its holdings in shares of CRA International by 244.6% during the second quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 1,051 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $107,000 after purchasing an additional 746 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.