Ieq Capital LLC Purchases New Holdings in Charles River Associates $CRAI

Ieq Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund acquired 3,730 shares of the business services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $531,000.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new position in shares of Charles River Associates in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its holdings 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 during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Charles River Associates in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,424,000. Kennedy Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Charles River Associates by 63.9% in 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 purchasing an additional 2,500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jump Financial LLC increased its position in Charles River Associates by 72.3% during the third quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 32,642 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $6,807,000 after buying an additional 13,692 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.13% of the company’s stock.

Charles River Associates Trading Up 1.4%

NASDAQ CRAI opened at $174.99 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $1.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.30, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a 50 day moving average of $165.44 and a 200-day moving average of $159.39. Charles River Associates has a 1-year low of $132.17 and a 1-year high of $227.29.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) last issued 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 return on equity of 27.31% and a net margin of 6.20%.The business had revenue of $210.81 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $198.91 million. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Charles River Associates will post 8.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Charles River Associates Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 2,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.25, for a total value of $389,812.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 11,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,932,257.25. This trade represents a 16.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 4.50% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Key Stories Impacting Charles River Associates

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $8.32 from $8.28 and its FY2027 forecast to $9.01 from $8.99. It also increased estimates for Q2 2027, Q3 2027 and Q2 2028, including a sizable increase for Q3 2027. These revisions point to improved longer-term earnings expectations for CRAI.
• Positive Sentiment: Charles River Associates recently reported quarterly EPS of $2.16, narrowly beating the $2.15 consensus, while revenue of approximately $210.8 million exceeded estimates of $198.9 million. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.57, or $2.28 annualized, representing a yield of about 1.3%.
• Neutral Sentiment: EVP Jonathan Yellin sold 2,250 shares for approximately $389,813, reducing his direct holdings by 16.79%. Because the transaction was conducted under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, it may be less concerning than an unscheduled insider sale. He still owns 11,153 shares. Jonathan Yellin Sells Shares of Charles River Associates
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains generally constructive: CRAI has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $245, although one analyst maintains a Hold rating. Institutional investors own roughly 84% of the shares, indicating strong professional ownership but potentially limited trading liquidity.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered EPS estimates for Q3 and Q4 2026, Q1 and Q4 2027, and Q1 2028. The cuts include Q1 2027 EPS falling to $2.25 from $2.44 and Q4 2027 EPS declining to $2.16 from $2.24. These near-term reductions could weigh on CRAI if investors prioritize upcoming results over the higher long-term forecasts.

Charles River Associates 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.