CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) Cut to “Hold” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning.

Separately, Barrington Research restated an outperform rating and issued a $186.00 target price on shares of CRA International in a research note on Tuesday, June 11th.

CRA International Stock Performance

CRAI opened at $189.41 on Tuesday. CRA International has a fifty-two week low of $81.29 and a fifty-two week high of $189.41. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $165.53 and a 200 day moving average of $165.07. The firm has a market cap of $1.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.11, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.14.

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

CRA International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 27th were given a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 27th. CRA International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.37%.

Insider Activity at CRA International

In related news, CFO Daniel K. Mahoney sold 1,000 shares of CRA International stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 11,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,804,161.04. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 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 transaction of $155,210.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 11,624 shares in the company, valued at $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 is available at this link. Also, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of CRA International stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.33, for a total value of $1,187,475.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 159,212 shares of the company’s stock, 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. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 10,750 shares of company stock worth $1,695,720. 5.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CRA International

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Swedbank AB bought a new stake in CRA International during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,924,000. Isthmus Partners LLC raised its position in shares of CRA International by 55.3% in the first quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 28,675 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $4,289,000 after buying an additional 10,213 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in CRA International during the third quarter valued at $573,000. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in CRA International by 34.9% during 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 buying an additional 2,551 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in CRA International by 21.9% in the 1st 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. 84.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.