Zacks Research Has Bullish Forecast for CRL Q3 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its Q3 2026 EPS estimate for Charles River to $2.87 (from $2.86); the consensus full‑year EPS is $10.97 and management's FY2026 guidance is $10.70–$11.20.
• Analyst coverage is mixed but the consensus rating is a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $205.36.
• In the last quarter CRL reported $2.39 EPS (beat by $0.06) on $994.2M revenue; the stock trades around $183 with a market cap of $9.05B.

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL - Free Report) - Stock analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for Charles River Laboratories International in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, April 21st. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the medical research company will post earnings of $2.87 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $2.86. The consensus estimate for Charles River Laboratories International's current full-year earnings is $10.97 per share.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the company. TD Cowen dropped their price target on Charles River Laboratories International from $251.00 to $235.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 20th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Charles River Laboratories International from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Charles River Laboratories International from $165.00 to $160.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $193.00 target price on Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Charles River Laboratories International presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $205.36.

Charles River Laboratories International Trading Down 1.1%

NYSE CRL opened at $183.43 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. Charles River Laboratories International has a twelve month low of $101.00 and a twelve month high of $228.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.05 billion, a PE ratio of -61.97, a P/E/G ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 1.61. The stock's 50 day moving average is $168.48 and its 200 day moving average is $183.22.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The medical research company reported $2.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.33 by $0.06. Charles River Laboratories International had a positive return on equity of 15.60% and a negative net margin of 3.59%.The company had revenue of $994.23 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $986.98 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.66 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was down .8% on a year-over-year basis. Charles River Laboratories International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.700-11.200 EPS.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Charles River Laboratories International

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 115.8% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,696,150 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $537,828,000 after purchasing an additional 1,446,972 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA bought a new position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International during the fourth quarter valued at $176,478,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 9,938.8% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 691,474 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $137,935,000 after purchasing an additional 684,586 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 1,491.1% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 613,604 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $96,005,000 after purchasing an additional 575,039 shares in the last quarter. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI lifted its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 117.7% during the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 946,769 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $148,131,000 after purchasing an additional 511,901 shares in the last quarter. 98.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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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