Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Increases Stock Holdings in Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL)

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL - Free Report) by 439.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 49,066 shares of the medical research company's stock after buying an additional 39,972 shares during the period. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. owned approximately 0.10% of Charles River Laboratories International worth $9,058,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in Charles River Laboratories International by 1,071.4% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 164 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. grew its holdings in Charles River Laboratories International by 52.0% during the fourth quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 190 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the period. GeoWealth Management LLC raised its position in Charles River Laboratories International by 311.5% during the fourth quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 251 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd acquired a new position in Charles River Laboratories International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Finally, Tortoise Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Charles River Laboratories International by 77.7% in the 4th quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 263 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. 98.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CRL has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $185.00 price target (down from $250.00) on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Friday, January 17th. Mizuho cut their price target on Charles River Laboratories International from $175.00 to $155.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Charles River Laboratories International from $177.00 to $173.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Redburn Atlantic upgraded Charles River Laboratories International from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $188.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $220.00 to $184.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have issued a hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Charles River Laboratories International has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $182.00.

Insider Activity at Charles River Laboratories International

In related news, CEO James C. Foster purchased 6,075 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $165.01 per share, with a total value of $1,002,435.75. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 183,639 shares in the company, valued at $30,302,271.39. This trade represents a 3.42 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Joseph W. Laplume sold 4,400 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.50, for a total transaction of $715,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 20,013 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,252,112.50. This trade represents a 18.02 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.30% of the company's stock.

Charles River Laboratories International Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of CRL stock traded down $0.73 on Friday, hitting $115.04. The stock had a trading volume of 419,585 shares, compared to its average volume of 914,845. The company's 50 day moving average price is $147.53 and its 200-day moving average price is $171.73. Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $91.86 and a 1 year high of $254.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 766.57, a P/E/G ratio of 4.54 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 1.14.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The medical research company reported $2.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $1 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $983.63 million. Charles River Laboratories International had a net margin of 0.52% and a return on equity of 14.69%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.46 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. will post 9.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Charles River Laboratories International Profile

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc provides drug discovery, non-clinical development, and safety testing services in the United States, Europe, Canada, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Research Models and Services (RMS), Discovery and Safety Assessment (DSA), and Manufacturing Solutions (Manufacturing).