Equities Analysts Set Expectations for CRAI Q2 Earnings

Key Points

• Sidoti slightly raised its Q2 2027 EPS estimate for Charles River Associates to $2.50 per share from $2.49, while the Street’s full-year earnings consensus remains $8.43 per share.
• CRAI’s latest quarterly results were mixed: the company posted EPS of $1.99, below the $2.02 consensus, but revenue came in above expectations at $200.98 million versus $193.81 million expected.
• The company continues to return cash to shareholders with a quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share, or $2.28 annually, for a yield of about 1.6%.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Free Report) - Stock analysts at Sidoti raised their Q2 2027 EPS estimates for shares of Charles River Associates in a note issued to investors on Friday, May 8th. Sidoti analyst M. Riddick now expects that the business services provider will post earnings of $2.50 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $2.49. The consensus estimate for Charles River Associates' current full-year earnings is $8.43 per share.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The business services provider reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.02 by ($0.03). Charles River Associates had a net margin of 6.22% and a return on equity of 26.02%. The company had revenue of $200.98 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $193.81 million.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Barrington Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $245.00 target price on shares of Charles River Associates in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Weiss Ratings cut Charles River Associates from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $245.00.

Charles River Associates Price Performance

Shares of CRAI opened at $139.58 on Monday. Charles River Associates has a 12 month low of $134.47 and a 12 month high of $227.29. The stock's 50-day moving average is $161.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $180.00. The stock has a market cap of $901.69 million, a PE ratio of 19.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.75.

Charles River Associates Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 26th will be given a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 26th. Charles River Associates's dividend payout ratio is presently 31.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Charles River Associates

In other news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 2,250 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.27, for a total transaction of $410,107.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 14,046 shares in the company, valued at $2,560,164.42. This trade represents a 13.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 4.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. New York State Common Retirement Fund grew its stake in Charles River Associates by 154.3% during the 3rd quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 5,995 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $1,250,000 after purchasing an additional 3,638 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in shares of Charles River Associates by 243.8% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 11,511 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $2,157,000 after purchasing an additional 8,163 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Charles River Associates in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,424,000. Kennedy Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Charles River Associates by 63.9% during the 3rd quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 6,410 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $1,337,000 after buying an additional 2,500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors boosted its stake in shares of Charles River Associates by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 4,388 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $881,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.13% of the company's stock.

More Charles River Associates News

Here are the key news stories impacting Charles River Associates this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Charles River Associates reported record first-quarter revenue of about $201 million, topping analyst expectations and signaling continued demand for its consulting services. CRA International Posts Record Revenue, Declares Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share, which may appeal to income-focused investors and suggests confidence in cash generation. CRA International Posts Record Revenue, Declares Quarterly Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Charles River Associates also updated its FY2026 revenue outlook to $785 million-$805 million, a range that appears broadly in line with Wall Street’s expectations. CRA International Posts Record Revenue, Declares Quarterly Dividend
• Negative Sentiment: First-quarter adjusted EPS came in at $1.99, missing the $2.02 consensus estimate, which is weighing on sentiment despite the revenue beat. CRA International (CRAI) Q1 Earnings Miss Estimates

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.

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