Zacks Research Brokers Boost Earnings Estimates for CRL

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research boosted their Q2 2028 earnings estimates for shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report issued on Wednesday, August 26th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the medical research company will earn $3.39 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $3.01. The consensus estimate for Charles River Laboratories International’s current full-year earnings is $11.33 per share.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The medical research company reported $3.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.77 by $0.25. The company had revenue of $1 billion during 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.12 EPS. Charles River Laboratories International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.150-11.450 EPS.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on CRL. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $215.00 to $282.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Charles River Laboratories International from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $180.00 to $310.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Robert W. Baird set a $291.00 price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $250.00 price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $255.65.

Charles River Laboratories International Stock Performance

CRL stock opened at $296.94 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $14.18 billion, a P/E ratio of -61.22, a P/E/G ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 1.38. Charles River Laboratories International has a 12-month low of $144.26 and a 12-month high of $303.31. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $243.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $196.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Laboratories International

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CRL. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 22,535.2% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 12,895,733 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $2,924,623,000 after buying an additional 12,838,761 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,887,175 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $1,174,374,000 after purchasing an additional 47,432 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 115.8% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,696,150 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $537,828,000 after buying an additional 1,446,972 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,871,688 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $373,364,000 after acquiring an additional 40,535 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 14.6% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,652,484 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $285,001,000 after acquiring an additional 210,260 shares during the last quarter. 98.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Nancy C. Andrews sold 573 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $285.24, for a total value of $163,442.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 1,438 shares in the company, valued at $410,175.12. This represents a 28.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director James C. Foster sold 33,561 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total transaction of $10,068,300.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 31,596 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,478,800. The trade was a 51.51% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 165,990 shares of company stock valued at $42,606,388. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

More Charles River Laboratories International News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Long-term earnings outlook improved. Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $11.15 from $10.91, FY2027 to $12.49 from $12.11, and FY2028 to $13.82 from $13.01. The firm also lifted Q2 2027, Q3 2027, Q1 2028 and Q2 2028 forecasts, with Q2 2028 EPS increasing to $3.39 from $3.01. These revisions suggest stronger expected earnings growth beyond the current year.
• Positive Sentiment: Potential vaccine-related business opportunity. Medigen has partnered with Charles River to help advance an enterovirus vaccine globally. The collaboration could generate additional demand for Charles River’s contract research, testing and development services. Medigen links up with Charles River in push to take enterovirus vaccine global
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable but valuation is elevated. Charles River has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating, supported by recent price targets from $291 to $310. The stock is trading near its 52-week high, while the average target of $255.65 is below its recent trading level, creating potential valuation concerns. Is Wall Street bullish or bearish on Charles River Laboratories stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Director sold a significant stake. James Foster sold 33,561 shares for about $10.1 million at $300 per share, reducing his direct ownership by 51.5%. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, which reduces its value as a discretionary bearish signal, but the size of the transaction could still weigh on sentiment. Charles River Laboratories director insider sale
• Negative Sentiment: Some near-term estimates were lowered. Zacks trimmed its EPS forecasts for Q3 and Q4 2026, Q1 2027 and Q4 2027. The reductions are small, but they point to near-term uncertainty despite improved full-year and longer-term expectations.

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.