CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) Short Interest Update

CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) was the target of a large drop in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 46,800 shares, a drop of 16.7% from the August 15th total of 56,200 shares. Currently, 0.7% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 44,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.1 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $186.00 price target on shares of CRA International in a report on Tuesday, June 11th.

CRA International Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of CRAI traded up $0.65 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $167.20. 24,063 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 37,268. CRA International has a fifty-two week low of $81.29 and a fifty-two week high of $187.10. The company has a market cap of $1.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.15. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $166.20 and its 200 day moving average is $161.20.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) last issued 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $167.87 million. CRA International had a return on equity of 22.37% and a net margin of 6.17%. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.42 EPS. Analysts anticipate that CRA International will post 6.93 EPS for the current year.

CRA International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 27th were issued a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 27th. CRA International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.45%.

Insider Transactions at CRA International

In other news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.33, for a total transaction of $1,187,475.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 159,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,208,035.96. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, CFO Daniel K. Mahoney sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.21, for a total transaction of $155,210.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 11,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,804,161.04. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.33, for a total transaction of $1,187,475.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 159,212 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $25,208,035.96. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 10,750 shares of company stock worth $1,695,720 in the last three months. Insiders own 5.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of CRA International

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in shares of CRA International by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 10,284 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,017,000 after buying an additional 206 shares during the last quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC increased its position in CRA International by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 18,462 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,825,000 after purchasing an additional 989 shares during the period. Bridge City Capital LLC raised its holdings in CRA International by 4.9% during the 1st quarter. Bridge City Capital LLC now owns 4,810 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $719,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of CRA International in the 1st quarter worth approximately $115,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of 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 valued at $1,590,000 after purchasing an additional 1,912 shares during the last quarter. 84.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.