William Blair Comments on CRA International, Inc.’s FY2024 Earnings (NASDAQ:CRAI)

CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) – Equities researchers at William Blair boosted their FY2024 earnings per share estimates for CRA International in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, May 2nd. William Blair analyst A. Nicholas now anticipates that the business services provider will post earnings per share of $6.13 for the year, up from their previous estimate of $5.94. The consensus estimate for CRA International’s current full-year earnings is $5.99 per share. William Blair also issued estimates for CRA International’s Q2 2025 earnings at $1.64 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $1.50 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $1.61 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $6.64 EPS.

Separately, StockNews.com lowered CRA International from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday.

CRA International Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:CRAI opened at $160.75 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $142.59 and its 200 day moving average is $115.40. CRA International has a 1 year low of $81.29 and a 1 year high of $162.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.22.

CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 29th. The business services provider reported $1.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.53. CRA International had a return on equity of 20.80% and a net margin of 6.73%. The company had revenue of $161.61 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $149.51 million.

CRA International Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 14th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 28th will be given a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 24th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.05%. CRA International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.45%.

Insider Transactions at CRA International

In other news, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of CRA International stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.66, for a total value of $1,039,950.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 170,280 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,611,024.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other CRA International news, CFO Daniel K. Mahoney sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.31, for a total value of $138,310.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 10,496 shares in the company, valued at $1,451,701.76. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Paul A. Maleh sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.66, for a total transaction of $1,039,950.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 170,280 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,611,024.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 10,750 shares of company stock valued at $1,487,085 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 5.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CRA International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Dearborn Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of CRA International by 46.2% in the 3rd quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC now owns 7,928 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $799,000 after acquiring an additional 2,504 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of CRA International by 12.7% during the 4th quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 4,615 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $456,000 after purchasing an additional 519 shares during the last quarter. Foundry Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of CRA International by 7.5% during the fourth quarter. Foundry Partners LLC now owns 46,555 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $4,602,000 after buying an additional 3,245 shares during the period. Spinnaker Trust purchased a new position in shares of CRA International during the 4th quarter worth about $1,953,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its stake in shares of CRA International by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 10,284 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,017,000 after purchasing an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. 84.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About CRA International

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