Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: Fifteen brokerages give Charles River an average rating of "Moderate Buy" (10 buy, 4 hold, 1 sell) with a mean 12‑month price target of about $206.15.
• Latest results and guidance: CRL beat Q4 estimates modestly with EPS $2.39 vs. $2.33 and revenue $994.2M vs. $986.98M, though revenue was down 0.8% year‑over‑year; management set FY2026 guidance of 10.700–11.200 EPS while sell‑side analysts expect ~9.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.
• Market snapshot: Shares opened at $169.58, trade within a 52‑week range of $91.86–$228.88, the company has a market cap of ~$8.37B and a negative P/E of -57.29.

Shares of Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the fifteen ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $206.1538.

Several research firms have commented on CRL. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Bank of America upgraded shares of Charles River Laboratories International from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $225.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $215.00 to $200.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $215.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $193.00 price objective on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Thursday, February 19th.

Charles River Laboratories International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CRL opened at $169.58 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.29. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $172.46 and a 200 day moving average price of $181.66. Charles River Laboratories International has a fifty-two week low of $91.86 and a fifty-two week high of $228.88. The firm has a market cap of $8.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -57.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.61.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The medical research company reported $2.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.33 by $0.06. Charles River Laboratories International had a negative net margin of 3.59% and a positive return on equity of 15.60%. The firm had revenue of $994.23 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $986.98 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.66 earnings per share. Charles River Laboratories International's revenue for the quarter was down .8% on a year-over-year basis. Charles River Laboratories International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.700-11.200 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Charles River Laboratories International will post 9.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Laboratories International

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Tema Etfs LLC bought a new position in Charles River Laboratories International during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Rothschild Investment LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 82.4% in the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 186 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International in the 4th quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Sfam LLC bought a new stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International in the 4th quarter worth about $43,000. Institutional investors own 98.91% of the company's stock.

About Charles River Laboratories International

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc is a leading provider of research models and preclinical and clinical support services for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. The company's core offerings include discovery, safety assessment, toxicology, and pathology services, as well as supply of laboratory animals and related diagnostics. Services extend across in vivo and in vitro testing, biologics testing, and support for advanced therapies, helping clients accelerate drug development from early discovery through regulatory submission.

Founded in 1947 in Wilmington, Massachusetts, Charles River has grown through strategic investments and acquisitions to establish a broad portfolio of capabilities.

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