Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) Hits New 1-Year High - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Charles River Associates' stock reached a new 52-week high of $214.66, with a current trading price of $211.50 and a market capitalization of $1.39 billion.
• The company reported quarterly earnings of $1.88 EPS, exceeding estimates, alongside a recent quarterly dividend of $0.49 per share.
• Wall Street analysts have adjusted their ratings for the stock, with one downgrading from "buy" to "hold," while the consensus rating remains at "buy" with an average target price of $228.00.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $214.66 and last traded at $211.50, with a volume of 23720 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $212.31.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on CRAI. Wall Street Zen cut Charles River Associates from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 2nd. Barrington Research restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $235.00 target price on shares of Charles River Associates in a research report on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $235.00.

Charles River Associates Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $1.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.94. The business's fifty day moving average price is $189.55 and its 200 day moving average price is $183.30.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The business services provider reported $1.88 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $186.88 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Charles River Associates will post 7.52 EPS for the current year.

Charles River Associates Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 26th were issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 26th. Charles River Associates's payout ratio is 23.73%.

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 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 17,323 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,246,849.89. The trade was a 9.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 5.20% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Associates

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Charles River Associates by 1.9% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 171,401 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $32,120,000 after purchasing an additional 3,138 shares during the period. CSM Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Charles River Associates in the second quarter valued at $4,923,000. Jump Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Charles River Associates by 422.5% in the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 18,950 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $3,551,000 after buying an additional 15,323 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its holdings in Charles River Associates by 2.7% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 13,049 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $2,445,000 after buying an additional 343 shares during the period. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in Charles River Associates by 243.8% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 11,511 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $2,157,000 after buying an additional 8,163 shares during the period. 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.