What Happened?
Shares of economic consulting firm CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) jumped 6.1% in the morning session after the company reported strong third-quarter financial results that beat expectations and raised its full-year guidance.
The consulting firm posted revenue of $185.9 million, a 10.8% increase from the same period last year, surpassing analyst forecasts. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $2.06, which also topped Wall Street estimates. Building on this positive performance, the company slightly lifted its revenue outlook for the full year to a midpoint of $744 million, signaling confidence in its business prospects.
After the initial pop the shares cooled down to $185.70, up 4.4% from previous close.
Is now the time to buy CRA? Access our full analysis report here.
What Is The Market Telling Us
CRA’s shares are not very volatile and have only had 9 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful, although it might not be something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.
The previous big move we wrote about was 21 days ago when the stock dropped 2.1% on the news that the U.S. government shutdown halted the release of crucial economic data, creating uncertainty for investors and policymakers. In its second week, the shutdown had stopped the flow of key federal figures on job creation and inflation. This came at a critical time, as the job market showed signs of slowing, and there were concerns that further declines could drag down the broader economy. In addition, Jamie Dimon raised concerns about a market correction. He added, "I would give it a higher probability than I think is probably priced in the market and by others, so if the market is pricing in 10%, I would ... say it's more like 30%." Dimon's remarks are closely watched given his influence as head of one of the nation's largest banks.
CRA is up 1.4% since the beginning of the year, but at $185.70 per share, it is still trading 12.5% below its 52-week high of $212.31 from September 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of CRA’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $4,535.
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