Sidoti Brokers Raise Earnings Estimates for CRAI

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) – Equities researchers at Sidoti upped their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Charles River Associates in a research note issued to investors on Monday, March 2nd. Sidoti analyst M. Riddick now expects that the business services provider will post earnings of $2.12 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $2.10. The consensus estimate for Charles River Associates’ current full-year earnings is $7.52 per share. Sidoti also issued estimates for Charles River Associates’ Q2 2026 earnings at $2.23 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $2.29 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $2.47 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $9.11 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.45 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.49 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.55 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.67 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $10.16 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on CRAI. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Charles River Associates in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Charles River Associates from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 6th. Finally, Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $245.00 price objective on shares of Charles River Associates in a research note on Monday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Charles River Associates has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $245.00.

Charles River Associates Trading Down 1.1%

Charles River Associates stock opened at $182.82 on Wednesday. Charles River Associates has a 1-year low of $149.96 and a 1-year high of $227.29. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $190.31 and a 200 day simple moving average of $190.96. The company has a market cap of $1.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.92.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The business services provider reported $2.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.05 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $196.96 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $190.54 million. Charles River Associates had a net margin of 7.29% and a return on equity of 26.15%.

Charles River Associates Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 20th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 10th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Charles River Associates’s payout ratio is presently 28.04%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. New York State Common Retirement Fund lifted its holdings in Charles River Associates by 154.3% during the 3rd quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 5,995 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,250,000 after purchasing an additional 3,638 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Charles River Associates by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 171,401 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $32,120,000 after buying an additional 3,138 shares during the period. CSM Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Charles River Associates during the second quarter worth $4,923,000. Jump Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Charles River Associates by 422.5% in the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 18,950 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,551,000 after acquiring an additional 15,323 shares during the period. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP boosted its position in shares of Charles River Associates by 259.5% in the second quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 7,482 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,402,000 after acquiring an additional 5,401 shares during the period. 84.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Charles River Associates News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Sidoti raised multiple near‑ and mid‑term EPS forecasts (Q1–Q4 2026, FY2026, Q1–Q4 2027 and FY2027), lifting FY2026 to $9.11 and FY2027 to $10.16 — indicating stronger expected earnings growth that supports a higher valuation and could be a primary positive driver behind buying interest.
• Positive Sentiment: Barrington Research reaffirmed an “Outperform” rating on CRAI, which reinforces analyst support and can help sustain institutional demand. Barrington Research Reaffirms Outperform
• Positive Sentiment: Charles River Associates added a high‑profile digital‑economy expert to strengthen its testifying/economics practice — a business development move that can deepen expertise, help win advisory/forensic engagements, and support revenue growth. CRA Strengthens Testifying Capabilities
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest reports show large “increases” but list 0 shares and NaN changes with a 0.0 days‑to‑cover figure — this appears to be a data/reporting inconsistency rather than clear evidence of mounting bearish bets. Investors should watch for corrected short‑interest disclosures before treating this as a market signal.

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.