Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) Stock Price Up 5.2% – Should You Buy?

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL) shares traded up 5.2% during trading on Thursday. The company traded as high as $294.24 and last traded at $291.7270. Approximately 81,426 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 91% from the average daily volume of 923,697 shares. The stock had previously closed at $277.33.

More Charles River Laboratories International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their price targets. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its target from $282 to $322 and maintained an “outperform” rating, while Robert W. Baird raised its target from $291 to $334 and also rated CRL “outperform.” These revisions imply roughly 10% to 14% additional upside from the referenced price.
• Positive Sentiment: Investor Day provided stronger long-term growth visibility. Charles River reaffirmed its fiscal 2026 revenue outlook at approximately $3.9 billion and raised EPS guidance to $11.45, above the $11.33 analyst consensus. The company also introduced 2030 growth targets, helping drive a recent rally in the stock. Charles River Laboratories Stock Rises 6% After Unveiling 2030 Growth Targets
• Positive Sentiment: Investor reaction has been favorable. Reports indicated CRL rose about 5% to 6% following the company’s Investor Day presentation, reflecting investor confidence in the updated 2026 outlook and longer-term targets. Charles River Laboratories Reaffirms Fiscal 2026 Guidance; Issues 2030 Growth Projections
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho raised its target but remained cautious. The firm increased its target from $264 to $295 but kept a “neutral” rating, suggesting limited upside from the referenced price and a more balanced risk-reward assessment.
• Negative Sentiment: Some of the good news may already be priced in. An investor analysis characterized the Investor Day as positive but argued that the improved outlook is fully reflected in CRL’s valuation. This may explain why the stock has decreased modestly despite favorable announcements. Charles River Laboratories: Positive Investor Day Is Fully Priced In

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on CRL shares. TD Cowen upped their price target on Charles River Laboratories International from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $300.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $250.00 target price on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $291.00 to $334.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Charles River Laboratories International from a “sell (e+)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $287.06.

Charles River Laboratories International Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -60.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $270.45 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $213.04.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The medical research company reported $3.02 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.77 by $0.25. The business had revenue of $1 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $980.53 million. Charles River Laboratories International had a negative net margin of 5.96% and a positive return on equity of 15.75%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.12 EPS. Charles River Laboratories International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.150-11.450 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. will post 11.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Victoria Creamer sold 4,179 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $259.16, for a total value of $1,083,029.64. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 30,051 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,788,017.16. This trade represents a 12.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Michael Knell sold 6,645 shares of Charles River Laboratories International stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.38, for a total transaction of $1,730,225.10. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 11,852 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,086,023.76. The trade was a 35.92% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 165,990 shares of company stock valued at $42,606,388 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Charles River Laboratories International

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 13.2% in the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,183 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $495,000 after buying an additional 255 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC grew its holdings in Charles River Laboratories International by 26.5% during the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 6,371 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $1,445,000 after acquiring an additional 1,334 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in Charles River Laboratories International in the second quarter worth $172,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in Charles River Laboratories International by 32.6% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 4,236 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $961,000 after acquiring an additional 1,041 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its holdings in Charles River Laboratories International by 959.9% in the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 13,863 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $3,144,000 after acquiring an additional 12,555 shares during the period. 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 global provider of drug discovery, nonclinical development and laboratory services for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies, as well as academic and government research institutions. The company supports customers throughout the development process, from early-stage research and target identification through preclinical testing and regulatory preparation.

Its offerings include research models and related products, discovery and development services, toxicology and safety assessment, efficacy testing, bioanalysis, and laboratory testing.