Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) Share Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI)’s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $192.90 and traded as high as $212.83. Charles River Associates shares last traded at $207.22, with a volume of 138,238 shares.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on CRAI shares. Barrington Research increased their price target on Charles River Associates from $239.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Charles River Associates from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Charles River Associates in a report on Monday, December 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Charles River Associates currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $245.00.

Charles River Associates Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $1.36 billion, a PE ratio of 24.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.90. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $199.82 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $192.90.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The business services provider reported $2.06 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.26. The firm 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 7.74% and a return on equity of 26.33%. Sell-side analysts expect that Charles River Associates will post 7.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Charles River Associates Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 25th were paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. This is a positive change from Charles River Associates’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 25th. Charles River Associates’s payout ratio is currently 27.40%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Charles River Associates

In other news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 1,750 shares of Charles River Associates stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.38, for a total value of $305,165.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 15,573 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,715,619.74. The trade was a 10.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 5.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Associates

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jones Financial Companies Lllp acquired a new position in Charles River Associates in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Arkadios Wealth Advisors boosted its stake in shares of Charles River Associates by 4.4% in the second 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 during the period. CSM Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Charles River Associates in the second quarter valued at approximately $4,923,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Charles River Associates by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 171,401 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $32,120,000 after buying an additional 3,138 shares during the period. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers lifted its holdings in Charles River Associates by 2.7% during the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 13,049 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,445,000 after buying an additional 343 shares in the last quarter. 84.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.