CRA International Inc

Charles River Associates raised its fiscal 2026 constant-currency revenue outlook to $805-$820 million from $785-$805 million, citing a healthy project pipeline. The guidance came alongside second-quarter fiscal 2026 results in which operating income rose 19.3% year over year to $23.5 million and operating margin expanded to 11.2% from 10.6%. Adjusted EBITDA increased 15.3% to $26.8 million, with margin improving to 12.7% from 12.4%, while adjusted net income rose 9% to $13.9 million. Revenue growth was broad-based: Legal & Regulatory services rose 10.1% and Management Consulting grew 25.5%, with Energy, Finance, Forensic Services, Intellectual Property, Life Sciences and Risk, Investigations & Analytics each posting double-digit growth, and the Antitrust & Competition Economics practice delivering its sixth consecutive record quarter. North American revenues rose 8.7% while international operations advanced 32.9%. On capital returns, the company repurchased 309,000 shares for $49.3 million at an average price of $160 per share in the first half of fiscal 2026 and paid $7.4 million in dividends and dividend equivalents, and its board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share in August 2026.

CRA International reported record second-quarter fiscal 2026 revenue of $210.8 million, up 12.8% year over year, and raised its full-year revenue guidance to a range of $805 million to $820 million on a constant currency basis. Non-GAAP earnings per diluted share rose 14.9% to $2.16, while non-GAAP EBITDA increased 15.3% to $26.8 million, reflecting a margin of 12.7%. Consultant headcount grew 3.3% year over year to 968, and utilization ticked up to 77% from 76% a year earlier. Management Consulting revenue jumped 25.5% to $57.0 million, with Energy and Life Sciences practices each growing more than 20%, while Legal & Regulatory revenue rose 10.1% to $153.8 million. The company also announced an expanded $400 million credit facility and a quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share payable on September 14, 2026.

Charles River Associates reported record second-quarter revenue of $210.8 million, a 12.8% year-over-year increase, and raised its full-year constant-currency revenue forecast to $805 million to $820 million. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share rose 14.9% and EBITDA grew 15.3%, with eight practices representing 95% of revenue posting year-over-year gains. International revenue surged 32.9% organically, driven by Life Sciences and Antitrust & Competition Economics, while utilization improved to 77%. The company also expanded its credit facility to $400 million and returned $31.4 million to shareholders during the quarter.

StockStory identifies two business services stocks with durable advantages and one facing headwinds. Rogers, with a market cap of $2.61 billion, is flagged for flat sales over five years, a 4.7 percentage point decline in adjusted operating margin, and a 13.9% annual contraction in earnings per share. CRA International, valued at $954.5 million, is highlighted for 9.5% annual revenue growth over two years, 15.5% annual EPS growth driven by buybacks, and an 18.4% return on capital. Huron Consulting Group, with a $1.62 billion market cap, is noted for 15.9% annual revenue growth over five years, 22.1% annual EPS growth aided by share repurchases, and a 6.7 percentage point increase in free cash flow margin.

BriaCell Therapeutics has engaged Charles River Associates and Kaleio to support commercial strategy, market access evaluation, and brand planning for its immunotherapy candidate Bria-IMT. Charles River Associates will evaluate epidemiology, pricing, prescriber dynamics, and market access potential for Bria-IMT in metastatic breast cancer in the US, while Kaleio will support brand strategies and customized commercial-readiness solutions. Bria-IMT is currently being evaluated in BriaCell’s ongoing pivotal Phase 3 study in metastatic breast cancer and is not yet commercially approved. The company described the engagements as a prudent commercial-readiness step as it prepares for potential future commercialization planning and strategic discussions, subject to successful clinical development and regulatory approvals.

Business process outsourcing and consulting stocks reported mixed first-quarter results, with the group's revenues beating analyst consensus estimates by 1.5% while next-quarter revenue guidance came in 0.7% below expectations. Genpact reported revenues of $1.30 billion, up 6.7% year on year and exceeding estimates by 0.5%, though its stock fell 16.9% since the release. CBIZ posted revenues of $848.6 million, up 1.3% year on year but missing estimates by 0.6%, yet delivered the highest full-year guidance raise among peers. Concentrix recorded revenues of $2.5 billion, up 5.4% year on year and in line with expectations, but missed EPS estimates and saw its stock drop 24.4%. CRA International reported revenues of $201 million, up 10.5% year on year and beating estimates by 3.7%, the biggest beat among peers, while Huron Consulting Group posted revenues of $451.8 million, up 11.8% year on year and exceeding estimates by 0.7%. On average, share prices of the eight tracked companies are down 13.8% since their latest earnings results.