Royal Bank Of Canada Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) Stock

Key Points

• Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target on Charles River Laboratories to $352 from $322 and maintained an “outperform” rating, implying 11.43% upside from the stock’s current price.
• Quarterly adjusted earnings of $3.09 per share and revenue of $982.7 million beat analyst expectations, though revenue fell 2.2% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment is generally positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and average target of $306.50; shares nevertheless fell 3.2% in Thursday trading.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL - Get Free Report) had its price target raised by equities research analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from $322.00 to $352.00 in a report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "outperform" rating on the medical research company's stock. Royal Bank Of Canada's price target suggests a potential upside of 11.43% from the stock's current price.

CRL has been the topic of a number of other reports. TD Cowen raised their price target on Charles River Laboratories International from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Evercore set a $330.00 target price on Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Friday, September 25th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $305.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, September 28th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Charles River Laboratories International from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Charles River Laboratories International from $291.00 to $334.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Charles River Laboratories International currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $306.50.

Charles River Laboratories International Trading Down 3.2%

Shares of CRL traded down $10.41 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $315.88. The company had a trading volume of 901,811 shares, compared to its average volume of 962,561. The stock has a market cap of $15.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -65.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 1.36. Charles River Laboratories International has a fifty-two week low of $146.20 and a fifty-two week high of $379.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $304.55 and a 200-day simple moving average of $224.12.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The medical research company reported $3.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $982.73 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $960.36 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 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.43 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Charles River Laboratories International will post 11.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Charles River Laboratories International

In related news, EVP Shannon M. Parisotto sold 2,156 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $344.41, for a total value of $742,547.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,807 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,655,578.87. This represents a 30.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Nancy C. Andrews sold 573 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $285.24, for a total transaction of $163,442.52. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 1,438 shares of the company's stock, valued at $410,175.12. The trade was a 28.49% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 102,299 shares of company stock worth $31,050,863. 1.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CRL. Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 36.9% during the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 19,306 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $4,378,000 after purchasing an additional 5,200 shares in the last quarter. Avidity Partners Management LP bought a new position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International in the 1st quarter worth $1,670,000. Quantitative Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,360,000. Madison Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Charles River Laboratories International during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $3,805,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 2.9% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 225,314 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $51,099,000 after purchasing an additional 6,401 shares during the period. 98.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Charles River Laboratories International News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target to $375 from $330 and reiterated an “overweight” rating, citing potential upside from the recent share price. Barclays stock recommendations
• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter results topped expectations: adjusted EPS was $3.09 versus estimates near $2.97, and revenue of $982.7 million exceeded the $960.4 million consensus. Organic growth and margin expansion contributed to results, and the company raised its 2026 outlook. Charles River Q3 Earnings & Revenues Top Estimates, Stock Rises
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue declined 2.2% year over year, despite beating analyst estimates. The contraction may temper investor enthusiasm for the earnings beat and outlook increase. Charles River Laboratories Announces Third-Quarter 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cut its rating from “strong-buy” to “hold,” a counterpoint to Barclays’ upgrade that could weigh on sentiment. Zacks Research stock recommendations

About Charles River Laboratories International

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc is a contract research and laboratory services company that supports pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and academic research organizations. The company provides products and services used throughout the drug-development process, from early discovery and research through preclinical testing and manufacturing support.

Its offerings include research models, laboratory animal management, discovery and safety assessment services, toxicology testing, bioanalysis, and support for biologic, cell and gene therapy programs.

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