CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) Shares Down 3.9% - Time to Sell?

Shares of CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) were down 3.9% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $171.59 and last traded at $170.79. Approximately 6,706 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 82% from the average daily volume of 37,207 shares. The stock had previously closed at $177.68.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Barrington Research lifted their price objective on CRA International from $212.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 24th.

CRA International Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $1.20 billion, a PE ratio of 26.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.09. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $186.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $185.10.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The business services provider reported $2.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.44. CRA International had a return on equity of 25.95% and a net margin of 6.79%. The business had revenue of $176.44 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $166.29 million. As a group, research analysts anticipate that CRA International, Inc. will post 7.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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CRA International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 4th were issued a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 4th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.11%. CRA International's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.08%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Daniel K. Mahoney sold 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.80, for a total transaction of $185,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 12,153 shares in the company, valued at $2,258,027.40. This represents a 7.60 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,600 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.50, for a total value of $1,463,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 145,806 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $28,067,655. The trade was a 4.95 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 20,850 shares of company stock worth $3,902,083. 5.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CRAI. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in shares of CRA International during the third quarter valued at $164,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of CRA International during the fourth quarter valued at $249,000. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new stake in shares of CRA International during the fourth quarter valued at $281,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of CRA International by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 3,245 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $607,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of CRA International by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 3,418 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $640,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. 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.