FY2024 EPS Estimate for CRA International Boosted by Analyst

CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research raised their FY2024 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for CRA International in a report issued on Thursday, November 21st. Zacks Research analyst S. Dey now forecasts that the business services provider will post earnings of $7.06 per share for the year, up from their prior forecast of $6.80. The consensus estimate for CRA International’s current full-year earnings is $7.08 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for CRA International’s Q4 2024 earnings at $1.50 EPS, Q1 2025 earnings at $1.83 EPS, Q2 2025 earnings at $1.84 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $1.66 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $1.69 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $7.02 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $1.92 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $1.73 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $1.80 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $7.38 EPS.

CRAI has been the topic of a number of other research reports. StockNews.com downgraded CRA International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Barrington Research boosted their price target on shares of CRA International from $194.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th.

CRA International Price Performance

CRAI opened at $193.84 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.13. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $184.88 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $174.65. CRA International has a 1-year low of $92.07 and a 1-year high of $208.38.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The business services provider reported $1.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.58 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $167.75 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $166.83 million. CRA International had a net margin of 6.41% and a return on equity of 24.46%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.13 earnings per share.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CRA International

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Arkadios Wealth Advisors increased its stake in CRA International by 2.5% during the second quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 3,000 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $517,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its stake in CRA International by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 3,095 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $543,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the period. Kennedy Capital Management LLC increased its stake in CRA International by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 3,324 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $497,000 after buying an additional 117 shares during the period. Foundry Partners LLC lifted its holdings in CRA International by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Foundry Partners LLC now owns 18,660 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $3,271,000 after buying an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in CRA International by 13.6% in the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 3,280 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $549,000 after buying an additional 393 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.13% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at CRA International

In other news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.55, for a total value of $1,436,625.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 151,712 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $29,060,433.60. The trade was a 4.71 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 5.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

CRA International Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 26th will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.01%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 26th. This is a positive change from CRA International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. CRA International’s payout ratio is presently 31.72%.

CRA International Company Profile

CRA International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides economic, financial, and management consulting services worldwide. It advises clients on economic and financial matters pertaining to litigation and regulatory proceedings; and guides corporations through business strategy and performance-related issues.