Zacks Research Has Optimistic Outlook of CRL Q2 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its Q2 2026 EPS estimate for Charles River to $2.85 (from $2.74) and issued higher multi-year EPS forecasts, including FY2026 $10.78, FY2027 $11.62 and FY2028 $12.12.
• Analysts maintain a Moderate Buy consensus (10 buys, 5 holds, 1 sell) with an average target of $203.57; Charles River recently beat the quarter ($2.39 EPS vs. $2.33 est., $994.2M revenue) but set FY2026 guidance of $10.70–$11.20 while the stock trades near $168.88, below most price targets.

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL - Free Report) - Zacks Research lifted their Q2 2026 earnings per share estimates for Charles River Laboratories International in a report released on Wednesday, March 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the medical research company will post earnings of $2.85 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $2.74. The consensus estimate for Charles River Laboratories International's current full-year earnings is $9.36 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Charles River Laboratories International's Q3 2026 earnings at $2.86 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $10.78 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.62 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.65 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $3.02 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $11.62 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $12.12 EPS.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on CRL. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Robert W. Baird set a $193.00 target price on Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Wall Street Zen lowered Charles River Laboratories International from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. Barclays reduced their price objective on Charles River Laboratories International from $215.00 to $200.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, TD Cowen dropped their target price on Charles River Laboratories International from $251.00 to $235.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 20th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Charles River Laboratories International has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $203.57.

Charles River Laboratories International Stock Performance

NYSE:CRL opened at $168.88 on Thursday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $193.48 and its 200-day moving average price is $181.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The company has a market cap of $8.31 billion, a P/E ratio of -57.05, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.64. Charles River Laboratories International has a twelve month low of $91.86 and a twelve month high of $228.88.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The medical research company reported $2.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 quarter last year, the firm posted $2.66 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter 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.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Laboratories International

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CRL. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Charles River Laboratories International by 84.5% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 104,719 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $16,384,000 after purchasing an additional 47,954 shares in the last quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International during the third quarter worth about $533,000. Madison Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International during the third quarter worth approximately $1,935,000. Cooke & Bieler LP increased its stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 0.9% during the third quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 603,877 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $94,483,000 after buying an additional 5,100 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in Charles River Laboratories International by 11.6% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,237,143 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $187,712,000 after acquiring an additional 128,785 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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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