Yahoo Finance CRA International (CRAI) Rises 48% in the Past Year: Here's How
CRA International, Inc. CRAI shares had an impressive run over the past year. The stock has rallied 47.9% compared to the 10.8% fall of the industry it belongs to.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Reasons for the Upside
CRA International has a diversified business, with service offerings across areas of functional expertise, client base and geographical regions. Being proficient in multiple industries helps the company meet varying client needs and offer other innovative services.
Further, CRA International gets to know about business strategies adopted worldwide. This multidisciplinary setup enables it to bring experts from all fields under one platform. Diversification in the business helps reduce the company’s dependence on any specific market, industry or geographic area. It also increases CRAI’s ability to adapt to changing conditions.
We are impressed with CRA International’s consistent record of returning value to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases. In 2021, 2020 and 2019, the company repurchased shares worth $44.9 million, $13.4 million and $18.1 million, respectively.
Also, CRAI paid out $8.29 million, $7.50 million and $6.54 million in dividends in 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Such moves indicate the company’s commitment to creating value for shareholders and underline its confidence in its business. These initiatives not only instill investors’ confidence but also positively impact earnings per share.
Revenue Expectation
Driven by the above tailwinds, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2023 revenues indicates an increase of 4% year over year to $618.1 million.
Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider
CRA International currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Some better-ranked stocks from the broader Zacks Business Services sector are Paychex, Inc. PAYX and The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. IPG.
Paychex carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. PAYX has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 7.5%. Paychex delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 5.9%, on average.
Interpublic currently has a Zacks Rank #2. IPG has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 3.70%. The company delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 8.9%, on average.
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