Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. $CRL Shares Bought by Aberdeen Group plc

Key Points

• Aberdeen Group increased its Charles River Laboratories stake by 483.6% in the third quarter, adding 656,777 shares to hold 792,576 shares, valued at about $233.8 million.
• Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.91% of the stock. Company insiders sold 63,352 shares worth about $20.3 million over the past three months.
• Charles River reported quarterly EPS of $3.09, beating the $2.97 consensus, and revenue of $982.7 million, above estimates; revenue nevertheless fell 2.2% year over year. Analysts’ consensus rating was “Moderate Buy,” with a $311.67 average price target.

Aberdeen Group plc raised its position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL - Free Report) by 483.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 792,576 shares of the medical research company's stock after purchasing an additional 656,777 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc owned 1.66% of Charles River Laboratories International worth $233,818,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in CRL. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Charles River Laboratories International by 127.9% during the third quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 98 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Continuum Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International in the second quarter worth $30,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 182.8% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 164 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the period. Compass Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International during the 3rd quarter worth $69,000. Finally, Activest Wealth Management grew its stake in Charles River Laboratories International by 25.9% in the 3rd quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 277 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $82,000 after buying an additional 57 shares during the last quarter. 98.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Charles River Laboratories International

In other news, Director James Foster sold 33,561 shares of Charles River Laboratories International stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total value of $10,068,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 31,596 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,478,800. The trade was a 51.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through 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 stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.24, for a total value of $163,442.52. Following the sale, the director owned 1,438 shares in the company, valued at approximately $410,175.12. This trade represents a 28.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 63,352 shares of company stock valued at $20,291,281. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on CRL shares. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Charles River Laboratories International from $322.00 to $352.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 5th. Barclays increased their target price on Charles River Laboratories International from $330.00 to $375.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 5th. Wall Street Zen raised Charles River Laboratories International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, November 7th. Mizuho upped their price target on Charles River Laboratories International from $264.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Argus set a $330.00 price objective on Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Thursday, September 17th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $311.67.

Charles River Laboratories International Price Performance

NYSE:CRL opened at $338.27 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $311.21 and a 200-day moving average of $228.24. The company has a market capitalization of $16.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 371.73, a PEG ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 1.36. Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $146.20 and a 52 week high of $379.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.41.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The medical research company reported $3.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.12. Charles River Laboratories International had a net margin of 1.01% and a return on equity of 16.95%. The business had revenue of $982.73 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $960.36 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.43 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. will post 11.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Charles River Laboratories International Company Profile

Charles River Laboratories International is a contract research organization that supports pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as academic and government researchers, in developing medicines and advancing scientific research. Its services span the drug development process, from early discovery and preclinical research to manufacturing support. The company's offerings include research models and related services, drug discovery and safety assessment, and manufacturing solutions. These may include laboratory animal models, laboratory testing, bioanalysis, and support for the production of products used in the development of pharmaceuticals and biologics.

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