Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) Given “Outperform” Rating at Barrington Research

Barrington Research restated their outperform rating on shares of Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $239.00 target price on the business services provider’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Charles River Associates from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 1st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Charles River Associates in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Charles River Associates presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $239.00.

Charles River Associates Stock Performance

NASDAQ:CRAI opened at $174.82 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $188.75 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $188.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.15 billion, a PE ratio of 21.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.92. Charles River Associates has a 52-week low of $152.57 and a 52-week high of $214.66.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The business services provider reported $2.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $185.89 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $179.42 million. Charles River Associates had a return on equity of 25.51% and a net margin of 7.93%. Charles River Associates has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Charles River Associates will post 7.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Charles River Associates Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 25th. This is a boost from Charles River Associates’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Charles River Associates’s payout ratio is currently 27.40%.

Insider Transactions at Charles River Associates

In other Charles River Associates news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 1,750 shares of Charles River Associates stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.38, for a total transaction of $305,165.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 15,573 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,715,619.74. The trade was a 10.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 4.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Associates

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in Charles River Associates by 10.7% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 5,190 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $899,000 after purchasing an additional 501 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of Charles River Associates during the first quarter valued at approximately $360,000. Jump Financial LLC purchased a new position in Charles River Associates during the 1st quarter valued at $628,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new position in Charles River Associates in the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Strs Ohio bought a new position in Charles River Associates in the 1st quarter valued at $329,000. 84.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Charles River Associates

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