Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) Share Price Passes Above 200 Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Charles River Associates shares moved above their 200-day moving average, trading as high as $170.39 and last changing hands at $168.39, up about 2.6% on the day.
• The company reported mixed quarterly results: EPS of $1.99 missed estimates by a few cents, but revenue of $200.97 million topped expectations. Analysts still see the stock with a Moderate Buy consensus and a $245 price target.
• CRAI also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share, and institutional ownership remains high at 84.13%; meanwhile, an EVP recently sold shares under a pre-arranged trading plan.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report)'s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $165.87 and traded as high as $170.39. Charles River Associates shares last traded at $168.39, with a volume of 110,906 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Weiss Ratings cut Charles River Associates from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Charles River Associates presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $245.00.

Charles River Associates Trading Up 2.6%

The company's fifty day moving average is $146.88 and its 200 day moving average is $165.87. The company has a market capitalization of $1.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.69.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The business services provider reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.02 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $200.97 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $193.81 million. Charles River Associates had a net margin of 6.22% and a return on equity of 26.02%. Equities research analysts predict that Charles River Associates will post 8.52 EPS for the current year.

Charles River Associates Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 26th were given a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 26th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Charles River Associates's payout ratio is 31.67%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 2,250 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $147.72, for a total transaction of $332,370.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 13,247 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,956,846.84. The trade was a 14.52% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 4.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Charles River Associates by 86.6% in the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 105,339 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $17,052,000 after buying an additional 48,892 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in Charles River Associates by 140.2% during the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 44,555 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $8,942,000 after acquiring an additional 26,003 shares in the last quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors increased its holdings in Charles River Associates by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 4,388 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $881,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund increased its holdings in Charles River Associates by 25.0% during the 4th quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 7,495 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,504,000 after acquiring an additional 1,500 shares during the period. Finally, Jump Financial LLC lifted its stake in Charles River Associates by 72.3% in the 3rd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 32,642 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $6,807,000 after purchasing an additional 13,692 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.13% of the company's stock.

About Charles River Associates

Charles River Associates NASDAQ: CRAI is a global consulting firm specializing in economic, financial and management advisory services. Founded in 1965 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, the company provides expert analysis to support litigation, regulatory proceedings, and strategic decision-making. Its multidisciplinary teams draw on academic rigor and industry experience to deliver quantitative and qualitative insights tailored to clients' needs.

The firm's service offerings include competition economics, antitrust and merger analysis, intellectual property valuation and damages assessment, and risk management.

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