Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Should You Buy?

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) shares saw unusually-strong trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 186,436 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 20% from the previous session’s volume of 155,311 shares.The stock last traded at $157.0550 and had previously closed at $157.94.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Charles River Associates from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 6th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Charles River Associates in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Barrington Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $245.00 price objective on shares of Charles River Associates in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $245.00.

Charles River Associates Stock Performance

The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $177.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $187.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.40, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 0.92.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The business services provider reported $2.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.05 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $196.96 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $190.54 million. Charles River Associates had a return on equity of 26.15% and a net margin of 7.29%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Charles River Associates will post 7.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Charles River Associates Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th were given a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 10th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Charles River Associates’s payout ratio is presently 28.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Charles River Associates

In other news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 2,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.27, for a total transaction of $410,107.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 14,046 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,560,164.42. This represents a 13.81% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 5.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CRAI. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new stake in Charles River Associates during the first quarter worth $27,000. Longboard Asset Management LP bought a new position in shares of Charles River Associates in the 3rd quarter valued at $217,000. Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Charles River Associates during the 4th quarter worth $401,000. Kennedy Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Charles River Associates by 9.3% during the 2nd quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 3,910 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $733,000 after buying an additional 333 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Charles River Associates by 8.2% during the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 4,180 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $839,000 after buying an additional 318 shares during the last quarter. 84.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Charles River Associates

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ: CRAI) is a global consulting firm specializing in economic, financial and management advisory services. Founded in 1965 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, the company provides expert analysis to support litigation, regulatory proceedings, and strategic decision-making. Its multidisciplinary teams draw on academic rigor and industry experience to deliver quantitative and qualitative insights tailored to clients’ needs.

The firm’s service offerings include competition economics, antitrust and merger analysis, intellectual property valuation and damages assessment, and risk management.