Russell Investments Group Ltd. Trims Stake in CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. trimmed its position in CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) by 32.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,530 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 5,441 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.16% of CRA International worth $1,243,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in CRA International by 1.7% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 70,638 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $5,952,000 after acquiring an additional 1,163 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE lifted its position in shares of CRA International by 29.4% in the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 563 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of CRA International by 49.8% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 4,337 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $365,000 after purchasing an additional 1,442 shares in the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC increased its holdings in CRA International by 30.4% during the first quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 63,927 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $4,772,000 after buying an additional 14,889 shares during the period. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in CRA International in the first quarter worth approximately $58,000. Institutional investors own 86.59% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CRAI has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on CRA International in a report on Thursday, August 17th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $133.00 target price on shares of CRA International in a research note on Tuesday, August 8th.

CRA International Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of CRAI opened at $108.35 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $104.19 and a two-hundred day moving average of $105.48. CRA International, Inc. has a twelve month low of $81.69 and a twelve month high of $128.10. The company has a market cap of $758.67 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.28.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $1.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.07. CRA International had a return on equity of 19.73% and a net margin of 6.41%. The firm had revenue of $161.97 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $156.82 million. On average, sell-side analysts expect that CRA International, Inc. will post 5.49 EPS for the current year.

CRA International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 29th will be given a $0.36 dividend. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.33%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 28th. CRA International’s payout ratio is currently 26.72%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other CRA International news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.65, for a total transaction of $528,250.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 169,158 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,871,542.70. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other CRA International news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.65, for a total transaction of $528,250.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 169,158 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,871,542.70. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 1,250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.40, for a total transaction of $135,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 20,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,211,360. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 5.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About CRA International

CRA International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides economic, financial, and management consulting services in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It advises clients on economic and financial matters pertaining to litigation and regulatory proceedings; and guides corporations through business strategy and performance-related issues.