Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) Sets New 12-Month High – Time to Buy?

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL) hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $242.73 and last traded at $240.7830, with a volume of 1257880 shares. The stock had previously closed at $224.30.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on CRL shares. CLSA lowered shares of Charles River Laboratories International from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $219.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Charles River Laboratories International from a “sell (e+)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Barclays increased their price objective on Charles River Laboratories International from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $215.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price target on Charles River Laboratories International from $192.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four 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 $220.75.

Charles River Laboratories International Stock Up 0.2%

The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $205.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $187.83. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. The company has a market cap of $11.33 billion, a PE ratio of -62.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.40.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The medical research company reported $2.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $995.83 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $977.46 million. Charles River Laboratories International had a negative net margin of 4.59% and a positive return on equity of 15.36%. Charles River Laboratories International’s revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.34 EPS. Charles River Laboratories International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.800-11.300 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. will post 11.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Charles River Laboratories International

In related news, Director James C. Foster sold 75,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $225.00, for a total value of $16,875,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 31,596 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,109,100. This represents a 70.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cardinal Capital Management raised its stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 10,928 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $2,180,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares during the period. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 1,847 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $375,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. Glenmede Trust Co. NA increased its holdings in Charles River Laboratories International by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 2,706 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $467,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its holdings in Charles River Laboratories International by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 6,316 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $1,260,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC raised its position in Charles River Laboratories International by 2.6% in the third quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 3,226 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $505,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the period. 98.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.