Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) Rating Lowered to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Sunday.

Separately, Barrington Research increased their price objective on Charles River Associates from $224.00 to $228.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st.

Charles River Associates Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ CRAI opened at $196.88 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $187.86 and a 200-day moving average of $182.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.57, a PEG ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.91. Charles River Associates has a 12 month low of $133.54 and a 12 month high of $214.01.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The business services provider reported $2.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.93 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $181.85 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $176.63 million. Charles River Associates had a net margin of 7.31% and a return on equity of 25.88%. On average, analysts predict that Charles River Associates will post 7.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 1,750 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.46, for a total transaction of $329,805.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 19,073 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,594,497.58. This trade represents a 8.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a 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 that occurred on Tuesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.62, for a total value of $1,429,650.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 141,545 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,981,307.90. The trade was a 5.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 4.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Charles River Associates

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Charles River Associates by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 3,418 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $640,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp purchased a new stake in shares of Charles River Associates in the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its position in shares of Charles River Associates by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 12,706 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $2,201,000 after purchasing an additional 205 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Charles River Associates by 6.7% during 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 501 shares during the period. 84.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Charles River Associates

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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