CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 60,600 shares, an increase of 27.8% from the November 30th total of 47,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 37,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.6 days. Currently, 0.9% of the company’s stock are sold short.

CRA International Stock Down 0.8 %

NASDAQ:CRAI opened at $185.42 on Tuesday. CRA International has a 52 week low of $97.31 and a 52 week high of $210.70. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $191.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $177.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.26 billion, a PE ratio of 30.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.13.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The business services provider reported $1.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $167.75 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $166.83 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.13 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that CRA International will post 7.15 earnings per share 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 given a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.06%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 26th. This is an increase from CRA International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. CRA International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.72%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s 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 completion of the transaction, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 5.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of CRA International

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC boosted its holdings in shares of CRA International by 41.9% during the 3rd quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 78,136 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $13,699,000 after purchasing an additional 23,078 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings 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 in the last quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P increased its stake in shares of CRA International by 20.6% in the 3rd quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P now owns 8,535 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,496,000 after acquiring an additional 1,460 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its holdings in shares of CRA International by 102.0% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 5,348 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $938,000 after acquiring an additional 2,700 shares during the period. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of CRA International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $164,000. 84.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.