United Capital Financial Advisors LLC Invests $5.96 Million in Charles River Associates $CRAI

United Capital Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing 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.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CRAI. Dearborn Partners LLC acquired a new position in Charles River Associates during the 2nd quarter valued at about $357,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in Charles River Associates in the second quarter worth about $3,365,000. Redwood Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Charles River Associates in the second quarter worth about $1,164,000. Corient Private Wealth LP purchased a new stake in shares of Charles River Associates during the second quarter worth about $890,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of Charles River Associates during the second quarter worth about $3,046,000. 84.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Charles River Associates

In other news, EVP Jonathan D. Yellin sold 2,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was 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 $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 SEC, which is available 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.

More Charles River Associates News

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 Trading Up 1.1%

NASDAQ:CRAI opened at $172.50 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.97, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.66. 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 simple moving average of $164.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of $159.28.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) last released 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 firm had revenue of $210.81 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $198.91 million. Charles River Associates had a return on equity of 27.31% and a net margin of 6.20%. Equities analysts forecast that Charles River Associates will post 8.43 EPS for the current year.

Charles River Associates Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Charles River Associates in a report on Friday, August 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus 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.