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

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.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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 report on Wednesday, May 21st.

CRA International Stock Down 2.2%

The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $178.05 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $182.90. The firm has a market cap of $1.23 billion, a PE ratio of 26.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.93.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The business services provider reported $2.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.93 by $0.29. CRA International had a return on equity of 25.95% and a net margin of 6.79%. The business had revenue of $181.85 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $176.63 million. Equities analysts forecast that CRA International, Inc. will post 7.52 earnings per share for the current year.

CRA International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 27th were given a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.08%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 27th. CRA International's payout ratio is 26.45%.

Insider Transactions at CRA International

In other news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 1,750 shares of the 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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 19,073 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,594,497.58. This represents a 8.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 141,545 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,981,307.90. The trade was a 5.03% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 4.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CRA International

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new stake in CRA International during the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. bought a new stake in CRA International during the fourth quarter valued at about $249,000. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new stake in CRA International during the fourth quarter valued at about $281,000. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in CRA International during the first quarter valued at about $329,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in CRA International during the first quarter valued at about $360,000. Institutional investors own 84.13% of the company's stock.

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.