Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) Stock Rating Upgraded by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) was upgraded by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $310.00 price target on the medical research company’s stock, up from their previous price target of $180.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective indicates a potential upside of 19.18% from the company’s current price.

CRL has been the subject of several other research reports. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Wednesday. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $192.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Robert W. Baird set a $213.00 price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Charles River Laboratories International from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Twelve equities research 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. According to MarketBeat, Charles River Laboratories International has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $235.12.

Charles River Laboratories International Trading Up 11.1%

CRL opened at $260.11 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $211.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $188.38. The company has a market cap of $12.53 billion, a P/E ratio of -69.18, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.38. Charles River Laboratories International has a one year low of $144.26 and a one year high of $267.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.36.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The medical research company reported $3.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.77 by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $1 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $977.20 million. Charles River Laboratories International had a positive return on equity of 15.36% and a negative net margin of 4.59%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.12 earnings per share. Charles River Laboratories International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.150-11.450 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Charles River Laboratories International will post 11.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Charles River Laboratories International news, Director James C. Foster sold 75,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.00, for a total transaction of $16,875,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 31,596 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,109,100. This trade represents a 70.36% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Laboratories International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Charles River Laboratories International during the 4th quarter worth $42,000. Sfam LLC purchased a new stake in Charles River Laboratories International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Activest Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 10,900.0% during the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 220 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Charles River Laboratories International in the fourth quarter valued at $46,000. 98.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Charles River Laboratories International News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Charles River Laboratories International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CRL reported second-quarter earnings of $3.02 per share, above the consensus estimate of $2.77, while revenue of approximately $1.0 billion exceeded expectations of $977.2 million. Charles River Laboratories Q2 earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $11.15-$11.45, above its prior outlook and the $11.09 analyst consensus. Revenue guidance of roughly $3.9 billion also topped expectations of approximately $3.8 billion. Reuters: Charles River lifts profit forecast
• Positive Sentiment: CRL raised its free-cash-flow outlook to $400 million-$420 million. Management cited stronger demand from biotech customers, improving organic revenue trends and positive order momentum. Its Discovery and Safety Assessment business has a strong backlog and book-to-bill ratio, while cost reductions and divestitures are expected to support margins. Charles River 2026 EPS and free cash flow outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings beat was partly offset by year-over-year revenue declining 2.7% and EPS falling from $3.12 in the prior-year quarter. Investors will likely focus on whether the improving order environment translates into sustained growth. CRL Q2 earnings and revenue results
• Negative Sentiment: Performance remains uneven across segments: U.S. weakness in Research Models and Services is being offset by strength in China. Longer-term risks include uncertain research spending and the company’s negative reported net margin. Charles River near-term inflection and long-term risk

About Charles River Laboratories International

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.