Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) Shares Gap Down – Here’s What Happened

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL)’s stock price gapped down prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $158.53, but opened at $146.82. Charles River Laboratories International shares last traded at $152.3130, with a volume of 681,935 shares traded.

Key Headlines Impacting Charles River Laboratories International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management issued FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $10.70–$11.20 and described improving demand for drug‑development services, a signal management expects recovery in biotech demand. Reuters: Charles River forecasts upbeat 2026 profit
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat consensus: EPS $2.39 vs. $2.33 estimate and revenue $994.2M vs. ~$987M estimate; management said margins improved vs. prior quarter. Zacks: Q4 earnings and revenues surpass estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcript and presentation/slides are available for investors who want management color on demand trends, margin drivers and the FY‑2026 outlook. Seeking Alpha: Q4 2025 earnings call transcript Seeking Alpha: Q4 presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Organic growth weakened across all segments and revenue was down ~0.8% YoY; EPS also fell from $2.66 a year ago to $2.39, which helps explain the negative market reaction despite the beat. Zacks: Key metrics on Q4 earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary notes the stock fell despite the beat — investors focused on weakening organic trends and mixed guidance range rather than the headline beat. Zacks: Stock down despite Q4 beat

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on CRL shares. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Evercore boosted their target price on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Morgan Stanley set a $185.00 price objective on Charles River Laboratories International in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $200.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Mizuho set a $215.00 price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Friday, January 9th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $209.46.

Charles River Laboratories International Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.37 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $202.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of $179.58. The firm has a market cap of $7.76 billion, a PE ratio of -100.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.88 and a beta of 1.63.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The medical research company reported $2.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.33 by $0.06. Charles River Laboratories International had a negative net margin of 2.07% and a positive return on equity of 15.78%. The firm had revenue of $994.23 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $986.98 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.66 EPS. The business’s quarterly 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. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. will post 9.36 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Laboratories International

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CRL. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 167.6% in the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,715 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $253,000 after buying an additional 1,074 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in Charles River Laboratories International in the 1st quarter worth approximately $418,000. CWM LLC lifted its position in Charles River Laboratories International by 89.2% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,602 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $395,000 after acquiring an additional 1,227 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Charles River Laboratories International by 95.6% during the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,432 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $521,000 after purchasing an additional 1,677 shares during the last quarter. Finally, VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International in the 2nd quarter worth $1,897,000. 98.91% of the stock is 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.