Have you been paying attention to shares of CRA International (CRAI) ? Shares have been on the move with the stock up 10.3% over the past month. The stock hit a new 52-week high of $208.38 in the previous session. CRA International has gained 104.9% since the start of the year compared to the 24.6% move for the Zacks Business Services sector and the 20.1% return for the Zacks Consulting Services industry.What's Driving the Outperformance?The stock has an impressive record of positive earnings surprises, as ...

Growth stocks are attractive to many investors, as above-average financial growth helps these stocks easily grab the market's attention and produce exceptional returns. However, it isn't easy to find a great growth stock.By their very nature, these stocks carry above-average risk and volatility. Moreover, if a company's growth story is over or nearing its end, betting on it could lead to significant loss.However, it's pretty easy to find cutting-edge growth stocks with the help of the Zacks Growth Style Sco ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue increased by 13.7% year-over-year to $167.7 million, marking a record Q3 performance and the highest revenue quarters in CRA's history for the first three quarters of fiscal 2024 [7][10] - Non-GAAP net income, earnings per diluted share, and EBITDA each increased by more than 50%, significantly outpacing revenue growth [10] - Consultant utilization improved to 76% year-over-year, despite a slight decrease in consultant headcount compared to Q3 2023 [8][36] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Legal and regulatory services revenue grew nearly 20% year-over-year, driven by strong utilization and execution [10] - The Antitrust & Competition Economics practice grew revenue by nearly 30% year-over-year, benefiting from increased demand for antitrust and merger-related services [12] - The Financial Economics practice provided model validation and fair lending testing services, contributing to overall revenue growth [21] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Overall project lead flow increased by 8% year-over-year, with conversion rates returning to historical norms of approximately 66% [9][52] - Worldwide M&A activity totaled $2.3 trillion during the first nine months of 2024, an increase of 16% compared to the previous year [12] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on directing consultant resources to areas with higher growth potential, particularly in legal and regulatory services [42] - Integration efforts are ongoing, with cross-staffing of client projects and joint marketing initiatives [26] - The company plans to continue investing in talent and infrastructure to support growth [32] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to adapt to changing regulatory environments and demand dynamics, regardless of potential administration changes [59] - The company reaffirmed its revenue and profit guidance for fiscal 2024, expecting revenue in the range of $670 million to $685 million [30] Other Important Information - The company concluded the quarter with $24.5 million in cash and $60 million in borrowings, resulting in net debt of $35.5 million [32] - A 17% increase in the quarterly cash dividend was announced, reflecting confidence in the business [34] Q&A Session Summary Question: Update on talent and headcount trajectory - Management noted that there was actually an expansion of heads year-over-year in Q3, despite a decrease in overall headcount due to previous actions [41] Question: Demand dynamics in management consulting - The Life Sciences practice is stabilizing, while the Energy practice is experiencing strong growth and hiring [44][46] Question: Cadence through the quarter - The quarter started strong and maintained strength through July, August, and September without volatility [48] Question: Trends in attrition - Voluntary attrition rates remain low, and the company is planning accordingly for future hiring [56] Question: Regulatory environment and potential impacts - Management indicated that the firm is well-positioned to adjust to the needs of clients under any administration, with a strong service portfolio [59]

CRA International (CRAI) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.77 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.58 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.13 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 12.03%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this consulting firm would post earnings of $1.49 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.83, delivering a surprise of 22.82%. Over the last four quarters, ...

Exhibit 99.2 1 CHARLES RIVER ASSOCIATES (CRA) THIRD QUARTER FISCAL YEAR 2024 EARNINGS ANNOUNCEMENT PREPARED CFO REMARKS CRA is providing these prepared remarks by CFO Dan Mahoney in combination with its press release. These remarks are offered to provide the investment community with additional information on CRA's financial results prior to the start of the conference call. As previously announced, the conference call will be held October 31, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. ET. These prepared remarks will not be read o ...

Investors in Charles River Associates, Inc.(CRAI) need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the Dec 20, 2024 $70.00 Put had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today. What is Implied Volatility? Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. ...

For those looking to find strong Business Services stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Is CRA International (CRAI) one of those stocks right now? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Business Services sector should help us answer this question. CRA International is a member of our Business Services group, which includes 312 different companies and currently sits at #5 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The ...

Here are three stocks with buy ranks and strong growth characteristics for investors to consider today October 8th: JD.com (JD) : This company which operates as an online direct sales company in China, carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 17.1% over the last 60 days. JD.com has a PEG ratio of 0.67 compared with 2.97 for the industry. The company possesses a Growth Score of A. Charles River Associates (CRAI) : This leadi ...

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Charles River Associates (CRAI) is a consulting services provider that has performed well over the past year and can sustain momentum in the near term. Consequently, if you have not taken advantage of the share price appreciation yet, you should add the stock to your portfolio. What Makes CRAI an Attractive Pick? An Outperformer: A glimpse at the company's price trend reveals that the stock has had an impressive run over the year. Shares of CRAI have surged 70.3% compared with the 35.1% rally of the industr ...