CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) Shares Cross Above 200 Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Shares of CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $178.52 and traded as high as $187.90. CRA International shares last traded at $184.04, with a volume of 32,485 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com lowered CRA International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Barrington Research raised their price target on CRA International from $194.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th.

CRA International Stock Down 1.4 %

The stock’s 50 day moving average is $191.30 and its 200-day moving average is $178.52. The company has a market cap of $1.25 billion, a PE ratio of 29.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.14.

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

CRA International Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 26th were issued a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.06%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 26th. This is a positive change from CRA International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. CRA International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.72%.

Insider Buying and Selling at CRA International

In other CRA International news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the chief executive officer now owns 151,712 shares in the company, valued at $29,060,433.60. This trade represents a 4.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 5.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in CRA International by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 161,208 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $28,268,000 after buying an additional 1,559 shares during the period. Eagle Asset Management Inc. grew its stake 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 worth $25,986,000 after buying an additional 95,050 shares during the last quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC grew its stake in shares of CRA International by 41.9% during the third quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 78,136 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $13,699,000 after acquiring an additional 23,078 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in CRA International by 2.9% during 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Foundry Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of CRA International by 1.0% during the third quarter. Foundry Partners LLC now owns 18,660 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,271,000 after buying an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. 84.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.