Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Estimate for CRAI Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research cut its Q3 2026 EPS estimate for Charles River Associates to $2.02 from $2.06, while projecting FY2026 earnings of $8.32 per share versus the broader consensus of $8.42.
• CRAI’s latest quarterly results slightly exceeded expectations, with EPS of $2.16 versus the $2.15 consensus and revenue of $210.81 million compared with estimates of $198.91 million.
• The stock was trading at $170.69, and the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share, representing a 1.3% yield; analysts’ overall consensus rating remained “Moderate Buy” with a $245 average price target.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q3 2026 earnings estimates for shares of Charles River Associates in a report released on Wednesday, August 26th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the business services provider will earn $2.02 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $2.06. The consensus estimate for Charles River Associates' current full-year earnings is $8.42 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Charles River Associates' Q4 2026 earnings at $2.15 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $8.32 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.25 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.33 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.26 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.16 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $9.01 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $2.28 EPS and Q2 2028 earnings at $2.52 EPS.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The business services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.15 by $0.01. Charles River Associates had a net margin of 6.20% and a return on equity of 27.31%. The business had revenue of $210.81 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $198.91 million.

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Charles River Associates in a research note on Friday, August 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $245.00.

Charles River Associates Trading Down 0.7%

Charles River Associates stock opened at $170.69 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $164.04 and a 200-day moving average of $159.36. The firm has a market cap of $1.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.66. Charles River Associates has a 1-year low of $132.17 and a 1-year high of $227.29.

Charles River Associates Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 14th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 25th. Charles River Associates's payout ratio is presently 30.36%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its stake in shares of Charles River Associates by 13,815.6% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 1,278,423 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $181,920,000 after purchasing an additional 1,269,236 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Charles River Associates in the second quarter worth $91,500,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Charles River Associates in the second quarter worth $69,054,000. Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new position in Charles River Associates in the second quarter worth $19,965,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in Charles River Associates by 86.6% in the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 105,339 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $17,052,000 after purchasing an additional 48,892 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.13% of the company's stock.

Charles River Associates News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its FY2026 EPS forecast to $8.32 from $8.28 and its FY2027 forecast to $9.01 from $8.99, indicating slightly improved full-year expectations.
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-range quarterly estimates were also increased, including Q3 2027 EPS to $2.26 from $2.00 and Q2 2028 EPS to $2.52 from $2.50. Q2 2027 was raised modestly to $2.33 from $2.32.
• Neutral Sentiment: The revisions were mixed overall. Zacks maintained a current full-year consensus estimate of $8.42 per share, above its own FY2026 forecast of $8.32, leaving some uncertainty about near-term execution and consensus expectations.
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short interest was listed at zero shares as of August 25, unchanged from August 10, with a zero-day days-to-cover ratio. This data provides no meaningful indication of short-selling pressure.
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term estimates were reduced: Q3 2026 EPS fell to $2.02 from $2.06, while Q4 2026 declined to $2.15 from $2.21.
• Negative Sentiment: Forecasts for Q1 2027, Q4 2027 and Q1 2028 were also cut to $2.25, $2.16 and $2.28, respectively. These reductions may weigh on sentiment because they suggest softer earnings momentum over the next several reporting periods.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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