Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Here’s Why

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) shares saw strong trading volume on Wednesday . 186,436 shares traded 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.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Charles River Associates Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $1.03 billion, a PE ratio of 19.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.92. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $174.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $187.54.

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

Charles River Associates Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 10th. Charles River Associates’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.04%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 2,250 shares of the firm’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 value of $410,107.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 14,046 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,560,164.42. This trade represents a 13.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 4.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Associates

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Kennedy Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Charles River Associates by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 6,489 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,302,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the period. Arkadios Wealth Advisors increased its holdings in shares of Charles River Associates by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 4,388 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $881,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp acquired a new stake in shares of Charles River Associates during the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Dearborn Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Charles River Associates by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC now owns 5,033 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $943,000 after buying an additional 163 shares during the period. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP boosted its holdings in Charles River Associates by 2.6% in the third quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 7,675 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,600,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.