Weiss Ratings Reiterates "Sell (D)" Rating for Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL)

Key Points

• Weiss Ratings has reiterated a "Sell (D)" rating for Charles River Laboratories International (CRL), indicating caution for investors considering this stock.
• Various other analysts have issued differing opinions, with Barclays upgrading CRL to "Overweight" and raising the target price significantly to $195, while Wall Street Zen downgraded it from "Strong Buy" to "Buy".
• Despite recent mixed reviews, the stock is currently trading at $173.53, with a consensus rating of "Hold" and a target price of around $179.93 from analysts.

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

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Barclays raised Charles River Laboratories International from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $165.00 to $195.00 in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Evercore ISI boosted their target price 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price 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. William Blair upgraded shares of Charles River Laboratories International from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Charles River Laboratories International from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Eight investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $179.93.

Charles River Laboratories International Stock Performance

NYSE CRL traded up $3.43 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $173.53. The stock had a trading volume of 917,769 shares, compared to its average volume of 991,679. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.36. The stock has a market cap of $8.54 billion, a P/E ratio of -130.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.55 and a beta of 1.50. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $159.17 and a 200 day moving average of $147.56. Charles River Laboratories International has a 52-week low of $91.86 and a 52-week high of $230.02.

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 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.62. The firm had revenue of $1.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $983.76 million. Charles River Laboratories International had a positive return on equity of 15.74% and a negative net margin of 1.69%.The firm's revenue was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.80 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Charles River Laboratories International will post 9.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Charles River Laboratories International

In other news, EVP Joseph W. Laplume sold 800 shares of Charles River Laboratories International stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.60, for a total value of $126,080.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 24,116 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,800,681.60. The trade was a 3.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Charles River Laboratories International

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brooklyn Investment Group grew its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. Cromwell Holdings LLC lifted 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 last quarter. Neo Ivy Capital Management bought a new stake in Charles River Laboratories International during the second quarter worth $29,000. HM Payson & Co. acquired a new position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International during the first quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Charles River Laboratories International by 98.0% in the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 293 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares during the period. 98.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Charles River Laboratories International Company 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).

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