Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) Reaches New 52-Week High - Here's Why

Key Points

• Charles River Laboratories hit a new 52-week high, trading as high as $299.99 and last changing hands near $297.90, significantly above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive: 12 analysts rate the stock a Buy, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, although the average price target of $255.65 is below its current price.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations with adjusted EPS of $3.02 versus the $2.77 consensus and revenue of $1 billion, despite a 2.7% year-over-year revenue decline; insiders have sold more than $32.5 million in shares over the past 90 days.

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $299.99 and last traded at $297.8960, with a volume of 205 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $298.58.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on CRL shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Charles River Laboratories International from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $180.00 to $310.00 in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Charles River Laboratories International from a "sell (e+)" rating to a "sell (d-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Barclays reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $300.00 price objective on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Charles River Laboratories International from $260.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Charles River Laboratories International currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $255.65.

Charles River Laboratories International Trading Up 0.0%

The business's 50-day moving average price is $237.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $194.41. The company has a market capitalization of $14.26 billion, a P/E ratio of -61.58, a PEG ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.04.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The medical research company reported $3.02 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.77 by $0.25. The business had revenue of $1 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $980.53 million. Charles River Laboratories International had a negative net margin of 5.96% and a positive return on equity of 15.75%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.12 EPS. Charles River Laboratories International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.150-11.450 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. will post 11.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Shannon M. Parisotto sold 2,039 shares of Charles River Laboratories International stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $294.12, for a total transaction of $599,710.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,807 shares in the company, valued at $1,413,834.84. The trade was a 29.78% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Birgit Girshick sold 6,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $279.90, for a total value of $1,819,350.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 36,013 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,080,038.70. This represents a 15.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 132,429 shares of company stock valued at $32,538,088. 1.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Laboratories International

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CRL. Continuum Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Charles River Laboratories International in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Charles River Laboratories International during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Sfam LLC bought a new position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International in the fourth quarter valued at $43,000. Activest Wealth Management grew its position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 10,900.0% in the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 220 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares during the period. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings 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. Institutional investors own 98.91% of the company's stock.

Charles River Laboratories International Company Profile

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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