Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.12 EPS

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) announced its earnings results on Thursday. The business services provider reported $2.19 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.12, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $214.92 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $199.04 million. Charles River Associates had a return on equity of 27.31% and a net margin of 6.20%.

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

• CRA posted record third-quarter revenue of $214.9 million, up 15.6% year over year, with record net income, diluted EPS and EBITDA. Seven practices grew, and Forensic Services, Life Sciences, and Risk, Investigations & Analytics each delivered double-digit revenue growth.
• Management raised fiscal 2026 constant-currency revenue guidance to $830 million–$840 million, from $805 million–$820 million, and narrowed its non-GAAP EBITDA margin outlook to 12.2%–12.8%.
• Weekly project lead flow and new project originations each increased more than 20% year over year; consultant utilization reached 78%, and headcount grew 6.2%. Management said it remains comfortable with mid-single-digit headcount growth for the full year, rather than guiding to high-single-digit growth.
• CRA raised its quarterly dividend 17.5% to $0.67 per share, marking its tenth consecutive annual increase. The company returned $60.3 million to shareholders year to date through dividends and share repurchases.
• Global M&A activity fell 41% sequentially in the third quarter, and management said it is monitoring whether the slowdown is temporary or a broader trend. CRA also expects fiscal 2026 non-cash forgivable-loan amortization expense to rise by about $15 million year over year.

Charles River Associates Stock Up 4.2%

CRAI traded up $8.19 during trading on Thursday, hitting $202.94. 340,101 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 110,429. Charles River Associates has a one year low of $132.17 and a one year high of $227.29. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $176.36 and its 200 day moving average is $166.14. The firm has a market cap of $1.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.64.

Charles River Associates Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be given a dividend of $0.67 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 24th. This is an increase from Charles River Associates’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. Charles River Associates’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.36%.

More Charles River Associates News

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

• Positive Sentiment: CRA reported fiscal third-quarter revenue of $214.9 million, above the $199.0 million consensus, and earnings of $2.19 per share, topping estimates of about $2.07. Earnings also increased from $2.06 per share a year earlier. Article: CRA International Q3 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its FY 2026 revenue outlook to $830 million–$840 million, above the analyst consensus of $814.2 million, signaling expectations for stronger revenue than previously anticipated.
• Positive Sentiment: CRA increased its quarterly dividend 17.5%, from $0.57 to $0.67 per share. The new dividend equates to $2.68 annually, or a yield of about 1.3%; it is payable December 11 to shareholders of record November 24. Article: CRA Increases Quarterly Cash Dividend

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Charles River Associates news, EVP Jonathan Yellin sold 2,250 shares of Charles River Associates 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 11,153 shares of the company’s stock, 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 4.50% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Weiss Ratings upgraded Charles River Associates from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $245.00.

Charles River Associates Company Profile

Charles River Associates, operating as CRA International, Inc, is a global consulting firm that provides economic, financial, and management consulting services. The company advises corporations, law firms, government agencies, and other organizations on complex business, legal, regulatory, and strategic matters.

CRA’s services include economic and financial analysis for litigation and regulatory proceedings, antitrust and competition consulting, corporate strategy, business performance improvement, and investigations.