Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) Sets New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $238.85 and last traded at $230.8780, with a volume of 70610 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $218.70.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CRL has been the topic of a number of research reports. BNP Paribas Exane set a $250.00 price target on Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $220.00 target price on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $215.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $250.00 target price on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Charles River Laboratories International presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $220.75.

Charles River Laboratories International Stock Performance

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $198.80 and a 200-day moving average of $187.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -60.21, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90.

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

Insider Activity at Charles River Laboratories International

In related news, Director James C. Foster sold 75,000 shares of the 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 sale, the director directly owned 31,596 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,109,100. This represents a 70.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 1.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Laboratories International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Trust Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International in the second quarter valued at approximately $129,000. Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its stake in Charles River Laboratories International by 36.9% in the 2nd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 19,306 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $4,378,000 after buying an additional 5,200 shares in the last quarter. Czech National Bank lifted its stake in Charles River Laboratories International by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 13,710 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $3,109,000 after buying an additional 307 shares in the last quarter. PensionDanmark Pensionsforsikringsaktieselskab grew its holdings in Charles River Laboratories International by 5.4% during the 2nd quarter. PensionDanmark Pensionsforsikringsaktieselskab now owns 14,500 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $3,288,000 after buying an additional 740 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its holdings in Charles River Laboratories International by 178.3% during the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 61,821 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $14,020,000 after buying an additional 39,610 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.91% of the company’s stock.

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.