Zacks Research Has Optimistic Outlook of CRAI Q2 Earnings

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research lifted their Q2 2027 EPS estimates for Charles River Associates in a report released on Wednesday, May 27th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the business services provider will post earnings of $2.32 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $2.24. 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 2027 earnings at $2.00 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $8.99 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $2.40 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $9.38 EPS.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Barrington Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $245.00 target price on shares of Charles River Associates in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Charles River Associates from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $245.00.

Charles River Associates Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of CRAI opened at $145.26 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $938.38 million, a P/E ratio of 20.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.75. Charles River Associates has a 12-month low of $132.17 and a 12-month high of $227.29. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $154.19 and a 200-day moving average price of $175.85.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) last issued 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). The company had revenue of $200.98 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $193.81 million. Charles River Associates had a net margin of 6.22% and a return on equity of 26.02%.

Charles River Associates Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Charles River Associates news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 2,250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $147.72, for a total value of $332,370.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 13,247 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,956,846.84. The trade was a 14.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 4.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Associates

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its holdings in Charles River Associates by 47.4% in the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 9,187 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,487,000 after purchasing an additional 2,953 shares in the last quarter. 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. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in Charles River Associates by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 4,180 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $839,000 after purchasing an additional 318 shares in the last quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC raised its holdings 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 worth $1,302,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Entropy Technologies LP bought a new position in Charles River Associates in the fourth quarter worth about $401,000. 84.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.