Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) Announces Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.01 EPS

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The business services provider reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.15 by $0.01, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $210.81 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $198.91 million. Charles River Associates had a net margin of 6.22% and a return on equity of 26.02%.

Here are the key takeaways from Charles River Associates’ conference call:

• Record Q2 performance: Revenue rose 12.8% year over year to $210.8 million, the highest quarterly level in CRA’s history, while non-GAAP EBITDA increased 15.3% and EPS rose 14.9%.
• Management raised fiscal 2026 constant-currency revenue guidance to $805 million–$820 million from $785 million–$805 million, while reaffirming its 12.0%–13.0% non-GAAP EBITDA margin outlook amid a strong pipeline.
• Growth was broad-based, with eight practices contributing year-over-year gains and particularly strong momentum in Energy, Life Sciences, Forensic Services, Risk, Investigations & Analytics, and Antitrust; international revenue increased 32.9%.
• CRA is adding capacity to support demand, with consultant headcount up 3.3% year over year and utilization improving to 77%; management expects mid-single-digit headcount growth by year-end and continued mid-to-upper-70s utilization.
• Net debt reached $197.6 million after working-capital funding, talent investments, and shareholder returns, while DSO increased to 113 days from 100 days in Q1; higher forgivable-loan amortization and a 33%–34% second-half tax rate may also pressure reported profitability.

Charles River Associates Price Performance

NASDAQ CRAI traded down $0.14 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $176.46. 265,349 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 154,291. Charles River Associates has a 52-week low of $132.17 and a 52-week high of $227.29. The firm has a market cap of $1.14 billion, a PE ratio of 24.51, a PEG ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 0.66. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $157.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $161.87.

Charles River Associates Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 14th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 25th. Charles River Associates’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.67%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Weiss Ratings lowered Charles River Associates from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $245.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Charles River Associates news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 2,250 shares of the company’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 sale, the executive vice president owned 13,247 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,956,846.84. This represents a 14.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed 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.

Institutional Trading of Charles River Associates

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Jones Financial Companies Lllp purchased a new stake in shares of Charles River Associates in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Entropy Technologies LP purchased a new position in Charles River Associates during the fourth quarter valued at $401,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted 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 acquiring an additional 318 shares in the last quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors boosted its holdings 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 worth $881,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kennedy Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Charles River Associates by 63.9% in the third quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 6,410 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,337,000 after acquiring an additional 2,500 shares during the last quarter. 84.13% of the stock is 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.