Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) Given New $334.00 Price Target at Robert W. Baird

Key Points

• Robert W. Baird raised its price target on Charles River Laboratories from $291 to $334 and maintained an “outperform” rating, implying approximately 13.1% upside from the stock’s cited price.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with 11 Buy ratings, three Holds and one Sell; the consensus rating is “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $278.38.
• Charles River exceeded quarterly earnings expectations with EPS of $3.02 versus the $2.77 consensus, while maintaining revenue guidance and issuing EPS guidance near the high end of its range. However, insiders sold about $42.6 million of shares over the past three months.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL - Get Free Report) had its target price raised by equities research analysts at Robert W. Baird from $291.00 to $334.00 in a report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "outperform" rating on the medical research company's stock. Robert W. Baird's price objective suggests a potential upside of 13.10% from the company's current price.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on CRL. BNP Paribas Exane set a $250.00 target price on Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Barclays restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $330.00 target price on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Friday. CLSA cut shares of Charles River Laboratories International from an "outperform" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $219.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Charles River Laboratories International from $260.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $250.00 price objective on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $278.38.

Charles River Laboratories International Stock Performance

Shares of CRL opened at $295.30 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $269.08 and a two-hundred day moving average of $212.48. Charles River Laboratories International has a one year low of $144.26 and a one year high of $303.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.35. The stock has a market cap of $14.10 billion, a P/E ratio of -60.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 1.40.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The medical research company reported $3.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.77 by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $1 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $980.53 million. Charles River Laboratories International had a negative net margin of 5.96% and a positive return on equity of 15.75%. The business's quarterly revenue was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.12 earnings per share. Charles River Laboratories International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.150-11.450 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Charles River Laboratories International will post 11.33 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Charles River Laboratories International

In related news, Director Nancy C. Andrews sold 573 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.24, for a total value of $163,442.52. Following the transaction, the director owned 1,438 shares in the company, valued at $410,175.12. The trade was a 28.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Birgit Girshick sold 6,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $279.90, for a total value of $1,819,350.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 36,013 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,080,038.70. This represents a 15.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 165,990 shares of company stock valued at $42,606,388. 1.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of CRL. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 14.6% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,652,484 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $285,001,000 after acquiring an additional 210,260 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,276,502 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $254,186,000 after purchasing an additional 9,756 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in Charles River Laboratories International by 5.0% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,135,027 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $195,792,000 after buying an additional 54,500 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 8.7% in the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 836,240 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $166,813,000 after acquiring an additional 66,803 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi boosted its stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 175.2% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 773,315 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $133,397,000 after acquiring an additional 492,301 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.91% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Charles River Laboratories International

Here are the key news stories impacting Charles River Laboratories International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: 2026 earnings outlook improved: Charles River issued EPS guidance of approximately $11.45, above the analyst consensus estimate of $11.33 and at the high end of its previously stated range. Revenue guidance of about $3.9 billion was maintained and is broadly in line with expectations. Charles River Laboratories Reaffirms Fiscal 2026 Guidance; Issues 2030 Growth Projections
• Positive Sentiment: 2030 growth targets added a longer-term catalyst: Management outlined its 2030 growth projections, which investors viewed as evidence that Charles River can expand earnings and revenue beyond the current year. The company’s outlook helped drive the stock higher and places more emphasis on execution across its research and laboratory services businesses. Charles River Laboratories Stock Rises After Unveiling 2030 Growth Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor focus shifts to execution: The Investor Day presentation and transcript provided additional detail on the company’s strategy and outlook, but the long-term targets remain dependent on sustained demand, operational improvement and successful execution. Revenue expectations for 2026 were not materially above consensus. Charles River Laboratories Analyst and Investor Day Transcript

Charles River Laboratories International Company Profile

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc is a global provider of drug discovery, nonclinical development and laboratory services for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies, as well as academic and government research institutions. The company supports customers throughout the development process, from early-stage research and target identification through preclinical testing and regulatory preparation.

Its offerings include research models and related products, discovery and development services, toxicology and safety assessment, efficacy testing, bioanalysis, and laboratory testing.

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