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

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in 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. Currently, 3.2% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 106,953 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days. Based on an average daily volume of 106,953 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days. Currently, 3.2% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on CRAI shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Charles River Associates from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, December 6th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Charles River Associates in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Barrington Research boosted their target price on shares of Charles River Associates from $239.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Two research 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 price target of $245.00.

Charles River Associates Trading Down 3.0%

CRAI stock traded down $6.55 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $210.74. The company had a trading volume of 93,316 shares, 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 company 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. The company has a 50 day moving average of $196.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $192.29.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The business services provider reported $2.06 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 analysts’ expectations of $179.42 million. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Charles River Associates will post 7.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Charles River Associates Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 25th were given a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 25th. This is an increase 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 the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.38, for a total transaction of $305,165.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 15,573 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,715,619.74. The trade was a 10.10% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 4.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Charles River Associates

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Jones Financial Companies Lllp acquired a new position in Charles River Associates in the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Charles River Associates in the 1st quarter valued at $329,000. Arkadios Wealth Advisors boosted its holdings in 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 worth $797,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. CSM Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Charles River Associates during the second quarter worth $4,923,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Charles River Associates by 1.9% during the second 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 last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.13% of the company’s stock.

Charles River Associates Company Profile

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.