United Capital Financial Advisors LLC Acquires Shares of 41,879 Charles River Associates $CRAI

United Capital Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 41,879 shares of the business services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $5,959,000. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC owned about 0.67% of Charles River Associates at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. PDT Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Charles River Associates during the 2nd quarter valued at $4,660,000. Weber Capital Management LLC ADV purchased a new position in Charles River Associates during the second quarter worth $5,351,334,000. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in Charles River Associates by 86.6% during the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 105,339 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $17,052,000 after buying an additional 48,892 shares during the period. Rice Hall James & Associates LLC bought a new position in Charles River Associates during the second quarter valued at $11,066,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Charles River Associates during the second quarter valued at $69,054,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.13% of the company’s stock.

Charles River Associates News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $8.32 from $8.28, FY2027 EPS to $9.01 from $8.99, Q2 2027 EPS to $2.33 from $2.32, Q3 2027 EPS to $2.26 from $2.00, and Q2 2028 EPS to $2.52 from $2.50. The sharp Q3 2027 increase and higher full-year forecasts suggest some confidence in CRAI’s longer-term earnings potential.
• Neutral Sentiment: The revisions leave Zacks’ FY2026 forecast below the broader consensus estimate of $8.42, while its FY2027 estimate implies earnings growth to $9.01. This creates a balanced picture rather than a clear-cut earnings catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered estimates for Q3 2026 EPS to $2.02 from $2.06, Q4 2026 EPS to $2.15 from $2.21, Q1 2027 EPS to $2.25 from $2.44, Q4 2027 EPS to $2.16 from $2.24, and Q1 2028 EPS to $2.28 from $2.40. The near-term cuts, particularly the $0.19 reduction for Q1 2027, could limit upside if investors focus on upcoming results.

Charles River Associates Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:CRAI opened at $172.50 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $164.72 and a 200 day moving average of $159.28. The company has a market capitalization of $1.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.66. Charles River Associates has a 52 week low of $132.17 and a 52 week high of $227.29.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The business services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.15 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $210.81 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $198.91 million. Charles River Associates had a return on equity of 27.31% and a net margin of 6.20%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Charles River Associates will post 8.43 EPS 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. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 25th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 25th. Charles River Associates’s payout ratio is 30.36%.

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, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.25, for a total value of $389,812.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 11,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,932,257.25. The trade was a 16.79% 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.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

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.