Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) Sets New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $220.65 and last traded at $221.06, with a volume of 39745 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $216.51.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CRAI has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Charles River Associates in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Charles River Associates from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 6th. Finally, Barrington Research upped their price target on Charles River Associates from $239.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $245.00.

Charles River Associates Stock Up 3.1%

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.84, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.90. The business’s 50 day moving average is $193.09 and its 200-day moving average is $191.28.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The business services provider reported $2.06 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $185.89 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $179.42 million. Charles River Associates had a net margin of 7.74% and a return on equity of 26.33%. Research analysts forecast that Charles River Associates will post 7.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Charles River Associates Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 25th were paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 25th. This is an increase from Charles River Associates’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Charles River Associates’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.40%.

Insider Transactions at Charles River Associates

In other Charles River Associates news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 1,750 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.38, for a total transaction of $305,165.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 15,573 shares in the company, valued at $2,715,619.74. This represents a 10.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 4.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Associates

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Jones Financial Companies Lllp purchased a new position in Charles River Associates in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Longboard Asset Management LP bought a new stake in Charles River Associates during the 3rd quarter valued at about $217,000. Strs Ohio purchased a new position in Charles River Associates in the 1st quarter worth about $329,000. Kennedy Capital Management LLC grew its stake 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 valued at $733,000 after purchasing an additional 333 shares during the period. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors raised its holdings in Charles River Associates by 4.4% in the 2nd quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 4,253 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $797,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 84.13% of the company’s stock.

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.