Insider Selling: Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) EVP Sells 2,250 Shares

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) EVP Jonathan Yellin sold 2,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.25, for a total value of $389,812.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 11,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,932,257.25. This represents a 16.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Charles River Associates Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CRAI traded up $1.81 on Thursday, hitting $172.50. 107,260 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 132,178. Charles River Associates has a 1-year low of $132.17 and a 1-year high of $227.29. The company has a market capitalization of $1.08 billion, a PE ratio of 22.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.66. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $164.72 and its 200 day moving average is $159.28.

Charles River Associates (NASDAQ:CRAI) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The business services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.15 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $210.81 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $198.91 million. Charles River Associates had a return on equity of 27.31% and a net margin of 6.20%. On average, analysts anticipate that Charles River Associates will post 8.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Charles River Associates Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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 is Tuesday, August 25th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Charles River Associates’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.36%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its stake in shares of Charles River Associates by 13,815.6% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 1,278,423 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $181,920,000 after purchasing an additional 1,269,236 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Charles River Associates during the second quarter valued at approximately $91,500,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Charles River Associates during the 2nd quarter worth $69,054,000. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new position in Charles River Associates during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $19,965,000. Finally, Rice Hall James & Associates LLC acquired a new stake in Charles River Associates during the 2nd quarter valued at $11,066,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.13% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Charles River Associates in a research note on Friday, August 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Charles River Associates currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $245.00.

Charles River Associates News Summary

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 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.