CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 60,400 shares, a growth of 19.6% from the January 31st total of 50,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 36,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.7 days. Currently, 0.9% of the company’s shares are short sold.

CRA International Trading Down 2.1 %

CRAI traded down $4.02 on Thursday, hitting $184.86. 10,098 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 36,909. The company has a market cap of $1.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.09. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $188.12 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $183.90. CRA International has a twelve month low of $133.54 and a twelve month high of $214.01.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The business services provider reported $2.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.44. CRA International had a net margin of 6.79% and a return on equity of 25.95%. The firm had revenue of $176.44 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $166.29 million. Equities analysts expect that CRA International will post 7.52 EPS for the current year.

CRA International Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 4th will be paid a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 4th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.06%. CRA International’s payout ratio is currently 29.08%.

Insider Activity at CRA International

In related news, Director Thomas Aiken Avery sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.05, for a total transaction of $199,050.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 14,669 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,919,864.45. This represents a 6.38 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.50, for a total transaction of $1,463,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 145,806 shares in the company, valued at $28,067,655. This trade represents a 4.95 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 10,600 shares of company stock worth $2,060,790. Insiders own 5.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of CRA International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of CRA International by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 3,095 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $543,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Foundry Partners LLC increased its stake in CRA International by 1.0% in the third quarter. Foundry Partners LLC now owns 18,660 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,271,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in CRA International by 178.8% during the third quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. now owns 148,221 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $25,986,000 after purchasing an additional 95,050 shares in the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in shares of CRA International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $164,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in shares of CRA International by 102.0% in the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. 84.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Barrington Research increased their target price on shares of CRA International from $212.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 24th.

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.