Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) Raised to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) was upgraded from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating by Wall Street Zen, with a consensus target price of $235.00.
• Despite recent upgrades, shares of Charles River Associates fell 1.3%, opening at $176.95, and the stock has a 12-month trading range between $152.57 and $214.66.
• Institutional investors currently hold 84.13% of Charles River Associates' stock, indicating strong institutional backing for the company.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Barrington Research restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $235.00 price objective on shares of Charles River Associates in a research report on Tuesday, September 23rd. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Charles River Associates in a research report on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Charles River Associates currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $235.00.

Charles River Associates Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of Charles River Associates stock opened at $176.95 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $195.12 and a 200 day simple moving average of $185.09. Charles River Associates has a 12-month low of $152.57 and a 12-month high of $214.66.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The business services provider reported $1.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $186.88 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $180.34 million. Charles River Associates had a net margin of 7.93% and a return on equity of 25.51%. Charles River Associates has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Charles River Associates will post 7.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Charles River Associates

In other news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 1,750 shares of Charles River Associates stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.43, for a total transaction of $328,002.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 17,323 shares in the company, valued at $3,246,849.89. The trade was a 9.18% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 4.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Charles River Associates

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CRAI. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Charles River Associates by 28,517.4% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,582 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,140,000 after buying an additional 6,559 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers grew its position in shares of Charles River Associates by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 12,706 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $2,201,000 after buying an additional 205 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in shares of Charles River Associates by 599.7% during the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 4,121 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $714,000 after buying an additional 3,532 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in Charles River Associates by 10.7% during the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 5,190 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $899,000 after purchasing an additional 501 shares during the period. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in Charles River Associates during the first quarter valued at approximately $360,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.13% of the company's stock.

Charles River Associates 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.

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