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

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $205.00 and last traded at $203.5730, with a volume of 25221 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $203.66.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on CRL shares. William Blair upgraded Charles River Laboratories International from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 6th. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Charles River Laboratories International from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $178.00 to $199.00 in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. Morgan Stanley set a $185.00 price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Charles River Laboratories International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, December 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $195.93.

Charles River Laboratories International Trading Down 0.6%

The company’s fifty day moving average is $183.51 and its 200-day moving average is $168.40. The company has a current ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.94 billion, a P/E ratio of -129.46, a P/E/G ratio of 6.37 and a beta of 1.63.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The medical research company reported $2.43 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.32 by $0.11. 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 $1 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $990.43 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.59 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. will post 9.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Charles River Laboratories International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cromwell Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 542.9% during the second quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 180 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. Neo Ivy Capital Management acquired a new position in Charles River Laboratories International during the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Rothschild Investment LLC boosted its holdings in Charles River Laboratories International by 82.4% in the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 186 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new stake in Charles River Laboratories International in the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 98.0% during the 2nd quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 293 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing 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.