MetLife Investment Management LLC Cuts Stake in CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI)

MetLife Investment Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,732 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 156 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC’s holdings in CRA International were worth $654,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Eagle Asset Management Inc. increased its position in CRA International by 178.8% during the 3rd quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. now owns 148,221 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $25,986,000 after buying an additional 95,050 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CRA International during the third quarter worth about $573,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in shares of CRA International by 102.0% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 5,348 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $938,000 after acquiring an additional 2,700 shares in the last quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of CRA International by 34.9% in the 2nd quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 9,870 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,700,000 after purchasing an additional 2,551 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in CRA International by 2.9% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 61,153 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $10,532,000 after purchasing an additional 1,705 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.13% of the company’s stock.

CRA International Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ:CRAI opened at $185.36 on Friday. CRA International, Inc. has a 52-week low of $95.15 and a 52-week high of $208.38. The stock has a market cap of $1.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.99, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.13. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $190.03 and a 200-day moving average price of $176.29.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The business services provider reported $1.77 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.19. CRA International had a net margin of 6.41% and a return on equity of 24.46%. The company had revenue of $167.75 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $166.83 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.13 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that CRA International, Inc. will post 7.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CRA International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 26th will be issued a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.06%. This is a positive change from CRA International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 26th. CRA International’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.72%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CRAI has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Barrington Research upped their price target on shares of CRA International from $194.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. StockNews.com lowered shares of CRA International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.55, for a total value of $1,436,625.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 151,712 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $29,060,433.60. The trade was a 4.71 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 5.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

CRA International 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.