CSM Advisors LLC Makes New $4.92 Million Investment in Charles River Associates $CRAI

CSM Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 26,263 shares of the business services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $4,923,000.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new position in shares of Charles River Associates during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in Charles River Associates during the first quarter worth $329,000. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in Charles River Associates during the first quarter worth $360,000. Jump Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Charles River Associates during the first quarter valued at $628,000. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors boosted its stake in shares of 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 valued at $797,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. 84.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Charles River Associates Trading Down 1.5%

CRAI opened at $180.35 on Monday. Charles River Associates has a 1-year low of $152.57 and a 1-year high of $214.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.18 billion, a PE ratio of 21.83, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.92. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $192.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $187.74.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The business services provider reported $2.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.26. The company 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 7.93% and a return on equity of 25.51%. Charles River Associates has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Charles River Associates will post 7.52 EPS for the current year.

Charles River Associates Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 25th will be given a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 25th. This is a positive change from Charles River Associates’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Charles River Associates’s dividend payout ratio is 27.40%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Barrington Research lifted their price target on shares of Charles River Associates from $235.00 to $239.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Charles River Associates in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Charles River Associates from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $239.00.

Insider Activity at Charles River Associates

In other news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 1,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.43, for a total transaction of $328,002.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 17,323 shares in the company, valued at $3,246,849.89. The trade was a 9.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 4.70% of the company’s stock.

Charles River Associates Profile

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.