William Blair Equities Analysts Cut Earnings Estimates for CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI)

CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) – Equities research analysts at William Blair lowered their Q1 2024 earnings estimates for shares of CRA International in a report issued on Thursday, November 2nd. William Blair analyst A. Nicholas now anticipates that the business services provider will post earnings per share of $1.26 for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $1.47. The consensus estimate for CRA International’s current full-year earnings is $5.50 per share. William Blair also issued estimates for CRA International’s Q3 2024 earnings at $1.40 EPS.

CRAI has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $133.00 price objective on shares of CRA International in a research report on Tuesday, August 8th. StockNews.com started coverage on CRA International in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock.

CRA International Price Performance

Shares of CRA International stock opened at $85.75 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $600.42 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.23. The business has a 50-day moving average of $102.00 and a 200 day moving average of $101.66. CRA International has a 12 month low of $81.29 and a 12 month high of $128.10.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 3rd. The business services provider reported $1.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.35 by $0.07. CRA International had a return on equity of 19.73% and a net margin of 6.41%. The firm had revenue of $161.97 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $156.82 million.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Copeland Capital Management LLC lifted its position in CRA International by 19.7% in the second quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 365,838 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $37,316,000 after acquiring an additional 60,322 shares during the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of CRA International by 1,301.5% in the 3rd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 55,218 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $4,900,000 after purchasing an additional 51,278 shares during the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of CRA International by 30.4% in the 1st quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 63,927 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $4,772,000 after purchasing an additional 14,889 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its position in shares of CRA International by 17.7% in the 1st quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 50,537 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $5,465,000 after purchasing an additional 7,594 shares during the period. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors grew its stake in CRA International by 4,587.4% during the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 4,828 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $431,000 after buying an additional 4,725 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.59% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at CRA International

In other news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.65, for a total value of $528,250.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 169,158 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,871,542.70. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 5.30% of the company’s stock.

CRA International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.96%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 27th. CRA International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.97%.

CRA International Company Profile

CRA International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides economic, financial, and management consulting services in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It advises clients on economic and financial matters pertaining to litigation and regulatory proceedings; and guides corporations through business strategy and performance-related issues.