Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) Reaches New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $237.86 and last traded at $236.4940, with a volume of 33548 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $233.60.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on CRL shares. BNP Paribas Exane set a $250.00 price objective on Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $165.00 to $160.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Charles River Laboratories International from a “sell (e+)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $213.00 price objective on Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Friday, May 8th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $218.38.

Charles River Laboratories International Stock Up 0.8%

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $186.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $185.53. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. The company has a market capitalization of $11.34 billion, a PE ratio of -62.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.40.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) last issued 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 firm had revenue of $995.83 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.34 EPS. Charles River Laboratories International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.800-11.300 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. will post 11.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Charles River Laboratories International

In other news, Director James C. Foster sold 75,000 shares of Charles River Laboratories International stock in a transaction on Monday, June 29th. The stock was 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 directly owned 31,596 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,109,100. The trade was a 70.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 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

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CRL. Tema Etfs LLC purchased a new stake in Charles River Laboratories International during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International in the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Sfam LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International in the fourth quarter valued at about $43,000. Activest Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 10,900.0% in the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 220 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in Charles River Laboratories International by 98.0% in the 2nd 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 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 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.