Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) Shares Cross Above 200-Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Charles River Associates' stock has recently crossed above its 200-day moving average, reaching a high of $187.64 during trading, with the last traded price at $186.28.
• Analysts from Barrington Research have raised their price target for Charles River Associates to $228.00 and given it an "outperform" rating, while Wall Street Zen downgraded it to a "hold" rating.
• The company reported a quarterly EPS of $1.88, exceeding expectations, along with a planned dividend of $0.49 per share, showing a yield of 1.1%.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report)'s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $182.23 and traded as high as $187.64. Charles River Associates shares last traded at $186.28, with a volume of 39,022 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CRAI has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Charles River Associates from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 2nd. Barrington Research boosted their price objective on shares of Charles River Associates from $224.00 to $228.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $228.00.

Charles River Associates Stock Performance

The firm's 50-day moving average is $185.73 and its 200 day moving average is $182.44. The stock has a market cap of $1.30 billion, a PE ratio of 23.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.91.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The business services provider reported $1.88 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.05. Charles River Associates had a net margin of 7.93% and a return on equity of 25.51%. The firm had revenue of $186.88 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $180.34 million. Charles River Associates has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Charles River Associates will post 7.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Charles River Associates Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 26th will be given a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 26th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Charles River Associates's dividend payout ratio is 23.73%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 1,750 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.43, for a total value 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. This represents a 9.18% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 4.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Associates

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Charles River Associates during the 2nd quarter worth $1,424,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in Charles River Associates by 243.8% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 11,511 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $2,157,000 after buying an additional 8,163 shares during the last quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC raised its position in Charles River Associates by 3.3% during the 2nd quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC now owns 5,033 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $943,000 after buying an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC raised its position in Charles River Associates by 422.5% during the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 18,950 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $3,551,000 after buying an additional 15,323 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kennedy Capital Management LLC raised its position in Charles River Associates by 9.3% during the 2nd quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 3,910 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $733,000 after buying an additional 333 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.13% of the company's stock.

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.