Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) Receives Sell (D) Rating from Weiss Ratings

Key Points

• Charles River Laboratories International has been given a sell (D) rating from Weiss Ratings, indicating possible caution for investors.
• The stock has seen significant analyst interest, with eight analysts rating it as a Buy and others issuing Hold or Sell ratings, leading to an average price target of $181.29.
• Despite the mixed ratings, CRL's stock price recently rose by 3.4% to $197.52, along with a notable increase in trading volume.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "sell (d)" rating restated by investment analysts at Weiss Ratings in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Weiss Ratings reports.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on Charles River Laboratories International from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $155.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Barclays upgraded shares of Charles River Laboratories International from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $165.00 to $195.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Charles River Laboratories International from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded Charles River Laboratories International from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $150.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $181.29.

Charles River Laboratories International Stock Up 3.4%

CRL stock traded up $6.55 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $197.52. 1,741,746 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 971,364. The company has a market capitalization of $9.72 billion, a PE ratio of -148.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.11 and a beta of 1.50. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $164.43 and a 200 day simple moving average of $150.11. Charles River Laboratories International has a twelve month low of $91.86 and a twelve month high of $230.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The medical research company reported $3.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.62. The business had revenue of $1.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $983.76 million. Charles River Laboratories International had a negative net margin of 1.69% and a positive return on equity of 15.74%. The business's revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.80 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Charles River Laboratories International will post 9.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Charles River Laboratories International

In other news, EVP Joseph W. Laplume sold 800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.60, for a total value of $126,080.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 24,116 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,800,681.60. This represents a 3.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.30% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Laboratories International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brooklyn Investment Group raised its stake in Charles River Laboratories International by 93.5% during the first quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 178 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC grew its stake in Charles River Laboratories International by 542.9% during the second quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 180 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. Neo Ivy Capital Management acquired a new stake in Charles River Laboratories International during the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. HM Payson & Co. acquired a new stake in Charles River Laboratories International during the first quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Charles River Laboratories International by 98.0% during the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 293 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares during the period. 98.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Charles River Laboratories International

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).

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