CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) Sees Strong Trading Volume - Here's What Happened

Shares of CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) saw unusually-high trading volume on Friday . Approximately 137,963 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 206% from the previous session's volume of 45,153 shares.The stock last traded at $190.17 and had previously closed at $187.88.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Barrington Research increased their price target on CRA International from $224.00 to $228.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st.

CRA International Price Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $175.97 and a 200 day moving average price of $183.29. The company has a market cap of $1.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.93.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The business services provider reported $2.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.93 by $0.29. CRA International had a net margin of 6.79% and a return on equity of 25.95%. The firm had revenue of $181.85 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $176.63 million. On average, equities analysts anticipate that CRA International, Inc. will post 7.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CRA International Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 27th will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 27th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.03%. CRA International's payout ratio is 26.45%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other CRA International news, 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 now directly owns 19,073 shares in the company, valued at $3,594,497.58. This represents a 8.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of CRA International stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.28, for a total value of $1,322,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 142,022 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,035,638.16. The trade was a 5.02% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 16,750 shares of company stock worth $3,081,555. Company insiders own 5.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new position in shares of CRA International in the first quarter worth about $27,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. bought a new position in CRA International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $249,000. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new stake in CRA International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $281,000. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in shares of CRA International during the first quarter worth $329,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of CRA International during the first quarter worth $360,000. Institutional investors own 84.13% of the company's stock.

About CRA International

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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