Zacks Research Analysts Increase Earnings Estimates for CRAI

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its earnings estimates for Charles River Associates, lifting Q2 2026 EPS to $2.02 from $1.96 and also boosting several other quarterly and annual forecasts.
• The stock received a modest boost from the report, while the company’s latest earnings release showed $1.99 EPS versus the expected $2.02, even as revenue of $200.98 million came in above estimates.
• CRAI also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share payable June 12, and analyst sentiment remains generally positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a $245 target price.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q2 2026 earnings estimates for shares of Charles River Associates in a research report issued on Wednesday, May 27th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the business services provider will earn $2.02 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $1.96. The consensus estimate for Charles River Associates' current full-year earnings is $8.48 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Charles River Associates' Q3 2026 earnings at $2.06 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $2.21 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $8.28 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.44 EPS and Q4 2027 earnings at $2.24 EPS.

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

Several other analysts have also issued reports on CRAI. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Charles River Associates from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Barrington Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $245.00 price target on shares of Charles River Associates in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $245.00.

Charles River Associates Trading Up 2.1%

NASDAQ CRAI opened at $148.35 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $958.34 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.75. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $154.04 and its 200 day simple moving average is $175.62. Charles River Associates has a 1 year low of $132.17 and a 1 year high of $227.29.

Charles River Associates Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 26th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 26th. Charles River Associates's dividend payout ratio is currently 31.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Charles River Associates

In related news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 2,250 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $147.72, for a total transaction of $332,370.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 13,247 shares in the company, valued at $1,956,846.84. This represents a 14.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 4.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Charles River Associates

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. New York State Common Retirement Fund boosted its position in Charles River Associates by 154.3% in the third 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 buying an additional 3,638 shares in the last quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Charles River Associates by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 6,489 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $1,302,000 after buying an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new stake in Charles River Associates in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $401,000. Arkadios Wealth Advisors boosted its position in Charles River Associates by 3.1% in the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Charles River Associates in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,424,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.13% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Charles River Associates

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised earnings forecasts across several periods for CRAI, including Q2 2026, Q3 2026, Q4 2026, FY2026, FY2027, and FY2028, signaling improved profit expectations for the consulting firm.
• Positive Sentiment: The biggest near-term upgrade was for Q4 2026 EPS, which was increased to $2.21 from $2.17, while FY2026 estimates were also raised to $8.28 from $8.12.
• Positive Sentiment: Charles River Associates was also highlighted in a Yahoo Finance item titled “CRA International Inc (CRA) Reports Another Record Quarter,” suggesting continued operational strength and supporting investor confidence. CRA International Inc (CRA) Reports Another Record Quarter
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also a short-interest update showing essentially no reported short interest, which does not appear to be a meaningful trading driver on its own.
• Negative Sentiment: Not all revisions were positive: Zacks trimmed its Q1 2027 EPS estimate, which may temper enthusiasm about longer-term growth consistency.
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the upgrades, CRAI’s earnings outlook still trails the current consensus full-year estimate, indicating analysts remain somewhat below broader expectations.

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.

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