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

CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) saw strong trading volume on Thursday . 135,248 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 189% from the previous session's volume of 46,851 shares.The stock last traded at $184.20 and had previously closed at $184.16.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Barrington Research boosted their target price 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 stock has a market capitalization of $1.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.28, a PEG ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.93. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $177.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $183.10.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The business services provider reported $2.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 analysts' expectations of $176.63 million. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that CRA International, Inc. will post 7.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CRA International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 27th will be paid a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.07%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 27th. CRA International's payout ratio is 26.45%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 1,750 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.46, for a total value 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 approximately $3,594,497.58. The trade was a 8.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.62, for a total transaction of $1,429,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 141,545 shares in the company, valued at $26,981,307.90. The trade was a 5.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 4.70% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CRA International

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CRAI. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new position in CRA International in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. bought a new position in CRA International during the fourth quarter worth $249,000. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new position in CRA International during the 4th quarter valued at $281,000. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in CRA International in the 1st quarter worth $329,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of CRA International during the 1st quarter worth about $360,000. 84.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

CRA International 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.