CRAI stock holds firm after CEO share sale and solid Q2 figures

CRAI stock is trading near recent highs after CEO Paul Maleh sold shares under a Rule 10b5-1 plan and the company reported solid second-quarter 2026 revenue and earnings. Investors are watching valuation and growth prospects.

CRAI stock of CRA International Inc. (ISIN US12563P1057) remains supported near recent highs as investors digest a late August 2026 insider sale by the chief executive and a set of solid second-quarter 2026 financial figures. As of early September 3, 2026, market data from a major US stock portal shows CRAI trading in the low USD 170 range, close to the price levels used in the CEO's August 31, 2026 transactions.

CEO share sale sets short-term tone

According to a Form 4 summary compiled by StockTitan, CRA International President and CEO Paul A. Maleh sold a total of 7,500 shares of CRAI common stock on August 31, 2026, in four open-market transactions executed under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The reported weighted average sale prices for the tranches were USD 172.0589, USD 173.0412, USD 174.1276, and USD 174.7834 per share, with individual trades occurring within a disclosed range from USD 171.545 to USD 174.85 as of that date. In total, the CEO disposed of 2,348 shares, 4,852 shares, 268 shares, and 32 shares, respectively, adding up to 7,500 shares sold in a single trading day.

The sale volumes are modest relative to typical daily turnover, but the price band around USD 172 to USD 175 per share provides investors with a concrete reference range for recent trading levels. With CRAI stock quoted in the low USD 170s as of September 3, 2026, the current price sits only a few dollars below the upper part of the CEO's August 31 sale corridor, suggesting that the market has largely absorbed the insider activity without a pronounced correction.

Recent revenue and earnings performance

CRA International, a global consulting firm known for economic, financial, and litigation-related advisory work, most recently reported financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2026, ending in late June 2026, according to data compiled by a leading US financial portal. In that quarter, revenue reached approximately USD 179 million, up about 7 percent compared with the same quarter of 2025, reflecting steady demand across advisory practices and continued strength in antitrust and regulatory work. Net income for Q2 2026 was about USD 14 million, which translated into earnings per diluted share of roughly USD 1.95, compared with around USD 1.75 per share in Q2 2025, indicating EPS growth of close to 11 percent year on year.

Operating margin in Q2 2026 remained in the mid-teens, with adjusted operating income around USD 27 million, according to the same portal's summary of the company's latest report. While these figures are not dramatically higher than prior-year levels, the combination of mid-single-digit revenue growth and double-digit EPS improvement underscores disciplined cost control and utilization in the firm's consultant base. For investors tracking consulting and professional services peers, such margin stability is often a key factor in valuation discussions, particularly when fee rates and staffing costs are in flux across the sector.

For the full fiscal year 2026, CRA International has reiterated guidance that envisages revenue growth in the mid-single-digit percent range and adjusted EPS in a band consistent with the Q2 2026 run rate, based on consensus data from the same financial portal as of September 3, 2026. The latest analyst consensus compiled there points to full-year 2026 revenue in the low USD 700 million range and full-year EPS around USD 7.40, compared with actual revenue of roughly USD 660 million and EPS of USD 6.70 in fiscal 2025. This implies expected revenue growth of approximately 6 percent and EPS growth of about 10 percent year on year, a profile that many investors consider solid but not aggressive for a mid-cap advisory firm.

Consulting projects and sector positioning

Beyond the headline numbers, CRA International's day-to-day business is driven by a portfolio of consulting engagements in competition policy, intellectual property, transfer pricing, and complex litigation support. Recent project disclosures on the companys own materials highlight work on merger control assessments, damages quantification in antitrust cases, and advisory services for energy and infrastructure clients navigating regulatory changes. Although individual mandates are often confidential, revenue segmentation in the latest report indicates that antitrust and competition-related consulting accounted for roughly 40 percent of Q2 2026 revenue, with the remainder spread across finance, energy, and other advisory practices.

For investors, this mix matters because antitrust and regulatory enforcement cycles can influence both demand visibility and fee rates. In periods of heightened merger activity and regulatory scrutiny, CRAI tends to benefit from a robust pipeline of investigations and court-related work, which can support higher utilization and margin resilience. Conversely, a slowdown in deal activity or a shift in enforcement priorities may dampen growth expectations. The current guidance for fiscal 2026, pointing to mid-single-digit revenue growth, reflects a baseline scenario in which regulatory and litigation demand remains healthy but not exuberant.

CRAI stock valuation and market context

As of September 3, 2026, CRAI stock trading in the low USD 170s corresponds to a market capitalization in the mid USD 1 billion range, based on roughly 7 million diluted shares outstanding reported in the Q2 2026 materials. Using the consensus EPS estimate of around USD 7.40 for fiscal 2026, the stock is priced at a forward price-to-earnings multiple in the low twenties, which places CRAI in a valuation band similar to or slightly above some larger diversified consulting peers. Investors comparing CRAI with broader professional services groups may see this as a premium tied to the companys specialization in high-stakes economic and financial advisory work.

The recent CEO share sale at weighted average prices between USD 172.06 and USD 174.78, combined with the current quote slightly below that range, effectively anchors the stock within its recent trading corridor. On a 52-week view, data from a major US quote provider shows CRAI moving between the low USD 130s at the bottom of the range and around USD 180 at the top, making the current level in the low USD 170s relatively close to the upper quartile of that band. Against that backdrop, investors focused on entry points will weigh the companys consistent earnings growth profile against the valuation and insider activity, rather than reacting to a single Form 4 filing in isolation.

Representative CRAI service example

One representative example of CRA International's recent work is its consulting support in merger control reviews for large cross-border transactions. In such projects, CRAI economists and financial experts build quantitative models of potential competitive effects, simulate market outcomes under different scenarios, and present findings to competition authorities and courts. Fees from these high-stakes assignments contribute meaningfully to advisory revenue and often come in waves aligned with global deal cycles. While individual client names are confidential, the companys revenue disclosures for Q2 2026 indicate that merger and antitrust-related consulting continues to be a major growth engine, underpinning the 7 percent year-on-year revenue increase reported for that quarter.

Stock price snapshot and investor perspective

Based on market data compiled by a leading US stock portal as of September 3, 2026, CRAI stock is quoted in the low USD 170s on the NASDAQ, with the latest price only a few dollars below the upper end of its recent 52-week trading corridor and close to the weighted average prices used in the CEO's August 31, 2026 share sales. This leaves CRAI trading at a valuation that reflects both solid Q2 2026 earnings momentum and investor attention to insider activity and sector growth prospects, without suggesting a sharp deviation from its established range.

CRAI stock key data

• Company: CRA International Inc.
• ISIN: US12563P1057
• Ticker: CRAI
• Trading venue: NASDAQ
• Price (as of September 3, 2026): low 170s USD
• Market capitalization: mid 1,000,000,000 USD (as of September 3, 2026)
• Sector / Industry: Professional services / consulting
• Index membership: NASDAQ composite