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

CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 60,400 shares, a growth of 19.6% from the January 31st total of 50,500 shares. Currently, 0.9% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 36,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.7 days.

CRA International Stock Down 2.1 %

NASDAQ:CRAI traded down $4.02 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $184.86. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 10,098 shares, compared to its average volume of 36,909. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.26 billion, a PE ratio of 27.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.09. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $188.12 and a 200-day moving average of $183.90. CRA International has a 1 year low of $133.54 and a 1 year high of $214.01.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The business services provider reported $2.03 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.44. CRA International had a net margin of 6.79% and a return on equity of 25.95%. The firm had revenue of $176.44 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $166.29 million. On average, analysts expect that CRA International will post 7.52 earnings per share for the current year.

CRA International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 4th will be paid a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 4th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.06%. CRA International’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.08%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Barrington Research upped their target price on shares of CRA International from $212.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th.

Insider Activity at CRA International

In related news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 2,000 shares of CRA International stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.37, for a total transaction of $398,740.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 153,806 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,664,302.22. The trade was a 1.28 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Thomas Aiken Avery sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.05, for a total value of $199,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 14,669 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,919,864.45. The trade was a 6.38 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 10,600 shares of company stock worth $2,060,790. 5.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of CRA International

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of CRA International by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 161,208 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $28,268,000 after purchasing an additional 1,559 shares during the last quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in CRA International by 178.8% in 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. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC increased its stake in shares of CRA International by 41.9% in the 3rd 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. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of CRA International during the 4th quarter worth $9,389,000. Finally, Foundry Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of CRA International by 56.0% during the 4th quarter. Foundry Partners LLC now owns 29,115 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $5,450,000 after acquiring an additional 10,455 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.13% of the company’s stock.

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.