CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) Short Interest Up 15.6% in April

CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 75,500 shares, an increase of 15.6% from the March 31st total of 65,300 shares. Currently, 1.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 30,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.5 days.

CRA International Price Performance

NASDAQ CRAI traded down $1.43 during trading on Monday, reaching $148.28. 16,124 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 31,364. The firm has a market cap of $1.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.22. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $139.46 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $113.96. CRA International has a 12-month low of $81.29 and a 12-month high of $153.09.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 29th. The business services provider reported $1.63 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.53. CRA International had a net margin of 6.17% and a return on equity of 19.01%. The business had revenue of $161.61 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $149.51 million. Research analysts expect that CRA International will post 5.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CRA International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 22nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 12th were given a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.13%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 11th. CRA International’s payout ratio is currently 31.11%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of CRA International from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 4th.

Insider Transactions at CRA International

In related news, Director Thomas Aiken Avery sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.05, for a total transaction of $138,050.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 15,504 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,140,327.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other CRA International news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.66, for a total transaction of $1,039,950.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 170,280 shares in the company, valued at $23,611,024.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Thomas Aiken Avery sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.05, for a total transaction of $138,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 15,504 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,140,327.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 10,750 shares of company stock valued at $1,487,085 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 5.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Spinnaker Trust acquired a new stake in CRA International in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,953,000. Foundry Partners LLC lifted its stake in CRA International by 7.5% during the 4th quarter. Foundry Partners LLC now owns 46,555 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $4,602,000 after acquiring an additional 3,245 shares during the period. Dearborn Partners LLC lifted its stake in CRA International by 46.2% during the 3rd quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC now owns 7,928 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $799,000 after acquiring an additional 2,504 shares during the period. Isthmus Partners LLC lifted its stake in CRA International by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 18,462 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,825,000 after acquiring an additional 989 shares during the period. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in CRA International by 12.7% during the 4th quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 4,615 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $456,000 after acquiring an additional 519 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.13% of the company’s stock.

About CRA International

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.