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

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

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

Charles River Associates Price Performance

Shares of CRAI opened at $196.39 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average is $184.65 and its 200-day moving average is $182.43. The company has a market capitalization of $1.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.91. Charles River Associates has a fifty-two week low of $133.54 and a fifty-two week high of $214.01.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The business services provider reported $2.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.93 by $0.29. Charles River Associates had a net margin of 7.31% and a return on equity of 25.88%. The firm had revenue of $181.85 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $176.63 million. Equities research analysts expect that Charles River Associates will post 7.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Charles River Associates

In related news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of Charles River Associates stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.62, for a total value of $1,429,650.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 141,545 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $26,981,307.90. The trade was a 5.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 1,750 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.46, for a total transaction of $329,805.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 19,073 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,594,497.58. This represents a 8.40% 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 Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Charles River Associates during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $9,389,000. Foundry Partners LLC grew its stake in Charles River Associates by 56.0% in the 4th quarter. Foundry Partners LLC now owns 29,115 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $5,450,000 after buying an additional 10,455 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Charles River Associates by 28,517.4% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,582 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,140,000 after acquiring an additional 6,559 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC acquired a new position in Charles River Associates during the 1st quarter worth $628,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in 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 acquiring an additional 3,532 shares during the last quarter. 84.13% of the stock is 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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