Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 3,537,661 shares, an increase of 19.8% from the February 12th total of 2,953,939 shares. Approximately 7.3% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,579,421 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.2 days. Based on an average daily volume of 1,579,421 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.2 days. Approximately 7.3% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Charles River Laboratories International Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CRL traded up $1.67 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $153.64. 755,081 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,221,420. The company has a market cap of $7.56 billion, a PE ratio of -51.91, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $189.21 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $180.99. Charles River Laboratories International has a 12-month low of $91.86 and a 12-month high of $228.88.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The medical research company reported $2.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.33 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $994.23 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $986.98 million. Charles River Laboratories International had a positive return on equity of 15.60% and a negative net margin of 3.59%.Charles River Laboratories International’s revenue was down .8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.66 earnings per share. Charles River Laboratories International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.700-11.200 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Charles River Laboratories International will post 9.36 EPS for the current year.

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. Tema Etfs LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Rothschild Investment LLC lifted its stake 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 buying an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Neo Ivy Capital Management purchased a new stake in Charles River Laboratories International in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new stake in Charles River Laboratories International during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Charles River Laboratories International during the fourth quarter worth $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.91% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on CRL shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Charles River Laboratories International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. Argus set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Monday, November 17th. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $215.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $200.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $203.57.

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.