Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) Stock Breaks Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• CRAI shares rose above their 200-day moving average of $160.85, reaching $182.35 and closing near $179.89, signaling positive technical momentum.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with a $245 price target, while CRAI recently exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations.
• The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.57, equivalent to a 1.3% yield; institutional investors own 84.13% of the stock, while an executive recently sold shares under a pre-arranged trading plan.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report)'s share price passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday. The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $160.85 and traded as high as $182.35. Charles River Associates shares last traded at $179.89, with a volume of 96,800 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Weiss Ratings raised Charles River Associates from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Charles River Associates has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $245.00.

Charles River Associates Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.95, a PEG ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.70. The company's 50 day moving average is $170.31 and its 200 day moving average is $160.85.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The business services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.15 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $210.81 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $198.91 million. Charles River Associates had a net margin of 6.20% and a return on equity of 27.31%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Charles River Associates will post 8.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Charles River Associates Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 14th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 25th were paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 25th. Charles River Associates's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Charles River Associates

In other Charles River Associates news, EVP Jonathan Yellin sold 2,250 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.25, for a total value of $389,812.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 11,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,932,257.25. This trade represents a 16.79% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of CRAI. Allworth Financial LP bought a new position in shares of Charles River Associates during the 2nd quarter worth about $35,000. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of Charles River Associates during the 2nd quarter valued at about $53,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd bought a new stake in Charles River Associates in the second quarter valued at about $55,000. State of Wyoming bought a new stake in Charles River Associates in the second quarter valued at about $74,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new stake in Charles River Associates in the second quarter valued at about $77,000. 84.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Charles River Associates

Charles River Associates NASDAQ: CRAI, operating under the name CRA, is a global consulting firm that provides economic, financial, and strategic analysis to corporations, law firms, government agencies, and other organizations. The company supports clients involved in complex business decisions, litigation, regulatory matters, and corporate transactions.

CRA's services include antitrust and competition economics, intellectual property and commercial disputes, financial and securities analysis, forensic accounting, investigations, corporate strategy, and regulatory consulting.

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