CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) Short Interest Up 56.5% in March

CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) saw a significant growth in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 87,000 shares, a growth of 56.5% from the February 28th total of 55,600 shares. Approximately 1.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 38,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.3 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Barrington Research raised their price target on CRA International from $212.00 to $224.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 24th.

CRA International Price Performance

NASDAQ CRAI traded up $0.91 on Monday, hitting $174.31. 9,385 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 38,594. The company has a market capitalization of $1.18 billion, a PE ratio of 25.84, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.09. The business’s fifty day moving average is $186.17 and its 200 day moving average is $185.99. CRA International has a 52 week low of $133.54 and a 52 week 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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.44. CRA International had a net margin of 6.79% and a return on equity of 25.95%. The company had revenue of $176.44 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $166.29 million. Analysts predict that CRA International will post 7.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CRA International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 4th were issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.12%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 4th. CRA International’s dividend payout ratio is 29.08%.

Insider Transactions at CRA International

In other CRA International news, Director Thomas Aiken Avery sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $199.05, for a total transaction of $199,050.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 14,669 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,919,864.45. The trade was a 6.38 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.28, for a total value of $1,322,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 142,022 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,035,638.16. The trade was a 5.02 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 20,850 shares of company stock worth $3,902,083. Corporate insiders own 5.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CRA International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Ameriprise Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of CRA International during the 4th quarter worth about $249,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in CRA International by 6.7% in the 4th quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 3,982 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $745,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares during the period. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of CRA International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $9,389,000. Foundry Partners LLC increased its position in shares of CRA International by 56.0% in the fourth quarter. Foundry Partners LLC now owns 29,115 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $5,450,000 after purchasing an additional 10,455 shares during the period. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new position in shares of CRA International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $281,000. 84.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.