Charles River Associates’ (CRAI) Outperform Rating Reiterated at Barrington Research

Barrington Research restated their outperform rating on shares of Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) in a research report report published on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. Barrington Research currently has a $245.00 target price on the business services provider’s stock.

A number of other analysts have also commented on CRAI. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Charles River Associates in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered Charles River Associates from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $245.00.

Charles River Associates Stock Down 1.1%

Charles River Associates stock opened at $182.82 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $190.31 and a 200-day moving average of $190.96. Charles River Associates has a twelve month low of $149.96 and a twelve month high of $227.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.20 billion, a PE 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The business services provider reported $2.06 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.05 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $196.96 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $190.54 million. Charles River Associates had a net margin of 7.29% and a return on equity of 26.15%. Equities analysts anticipate that Charles River Associates will post 7.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Charles River Associates Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date 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 currently 28.04%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Associates

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. CSM Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Charles River Associates during the second quarter worth approximately $4,923,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in shares of Charles River Associates by 140.2% during the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 44,555 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $8,942,000 after acquiring an additional 26,003 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC increased its holdings in shares of Charles River Associates by 422.5% during the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 18,950 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $3,551,000 after acquiring an additional 15,323 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Charles River Associates in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,424,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP lifted its holdings in Charles River Associates by 259.5% during the 2nd quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 7,482 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,402,000 after purchasing an additional 5,401 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.13% of the company’s stock.

Key Charles River Associates News

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.