CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) Upgraded by StockNews.com to “Buy”

StockNews.com upgraded shares of CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Wednesday.

CRA International Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of CRA International stock opened at $192.47 on Wednesday. CRA International has a 52 week low of $81.29 and a 52 week high of $196.03. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $167.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $166.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.14.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The business services provider reported $1.83 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.49 by $0.34. CRA International had a net margin of 6.17% and a return on equity of 22.37%. The firm had revenue of $171.44 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $167.87 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.42 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that CRA International will post 6.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CRA International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 27th were issued a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 27th. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.87%. CRA International’s payout ratio is 27.45%.

Insider Activity

In other CRA International news, CFO Daniel K. Mahoney sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.21, for a total value of $155,210.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 11,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,804,161.04. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other CRA International news, CFO Daniel K. Mahoney sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.21, for a total value of $155,210.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 11,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,804,161.04. This represents a 0.00 % 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. Also, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.33, for a total transaction of $1,187,475.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 159,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,208,035.96. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 10,750 shares of company stock valued at $1,695,720. Insiders own 5.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Swedbank AB purchased a new stake in shares of CRA International in the first quarter valued at about $26,924,000. Isthmus Partners LLC grew its holdings in CRA International by 55.3% during the 1st quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 28,675 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $4,289,000 after buying an additional 10,213 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in CRA International during the third quarter worth $573,000. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 worth $1,700,000 after acquiring an additional 2,551 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of CRA International by 21.9% in the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 10,630 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,590,000 after acquiring an additional 1,912 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.