Short Interest in Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) Increases By 37.9%

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 197,516 shares, a growth of 37.9% from the December 15th total of 143,208 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 106,953 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.8 days. Approximately 3.2% of the company’s stock are short sold. Approximately 3.2% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 106,953 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.8 days.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Associates

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Jones Financial Companies Lllp acquired a new stake in Charles River Associates during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Longboard Asset Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Charles River Associates during the third quarter worth $217,000. Strs Ohio purchased a new position in Charles River Associates in the 1st quarter valued at $329,000. Kennedy Capital Management LLC grew its position in Charles River Associates by 9.3% in the 2nd quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 3,910 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $733,000 after buying an additional 333 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors increased its stake in 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 buying an additional 180 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.13% of the company’s stock.

Charles River Associates Stock Down 3.0%

CRAI traded down $6.55 during trading on Monday, hitting $210.74. 93,316 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 104,888. Charles River Associates has a 1-year low of $152.57 and a 1-year high of $227.29. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $196.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $192.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.33, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.90.

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. Charles River Associates had a net margin of 7.74% and a return on equity of 26.33%. The business had revenue of $185.89 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $179.42 million. Analysts predict that Charles River Associates will post 7.52 EPS for the current year.

Charles River Associates Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 25th were paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend 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%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

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.