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

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $277.07 and last traded at $276.34, with a volume of 1025310 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $267.49.

Key Stories Impacting Charles River Laboratories International

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

• Positive Sentiment: Earnings exceeded expectations. Charles River reported fiscal second-quarter adjusted earnings of $3.02 per share, above the $2.77 analyst consensus, while revenue of approximately $1.0 billion also topped expectations of $980.5 million. Management maintained fiscal 2026 earnings guidance of $11.15 to $11.45 per share. Charles River Laboratories Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains supportive. Piper Sandler and Barclays set or maintained $300 price targets, while RBC raised its target to $282 and reiterated an outperform rating. JPMorgan also upgraded CRL to overweight with a $310 target. The overall analyst consensus is “Moderate Buy,” with 12 Buy ratings, three Holds and one Sell. Charles River Laboratories Consensus Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Investor focus remains on management’s outlook. Articles reviewing the second-quarter earnings call highlighted analyst questions about Charles River’s operating trends and forward expectations. The discussion helps investors assess whether the earnings beat and 2026 guidance can be sustained. Analyst Questions From Charles River’s Q2 Earnings Call
• Positive Sentiment: Technical momentum is strong. CRL reached a new 52-week high near $277, with trading volume above its average. Shares remain substantially above their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, reinforcing bullish momentum. Charles River Laboratories Sets New 52-Week High
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple insiders sold shares. Director James C. Foster sold 28,733 shares for approximately $7.9 million under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing his holdings by 47.6%. EVP Victoria Creamer separately sold 4,179 shares worth about $1.1 million. The planned transactions may weigh on sentiment, although they do not necessarily indicate weakening business prospects. SEC Insider Transaction Filing

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CRL has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane set a $250.00 price objective on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $235.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Charles River Laboratories International from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $180.00 to $310.00 in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Mizuho set a $264.00 price objective on Charles River Laboratories International in a research note on Monday. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Charles River Laboratories International currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $255.65.

Charles River Laboratories International Price Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average of $220.98 and a 200-day moving average of $190.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.61 billion, a P/E ratio of -58.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $2.77 by $0.25. Charles River Laboratories International had a positive return on equity of 15.75% and a negative net margin of 5.96%.The firm had revenue of $1 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $980.53 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.12 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Charles River Laboratories International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.150-11.450 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. will post 11.35 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Charles River Laboratories International

In related news, CAO Michael Gunnar Knell sold 6,645 shares of the firm’s 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 11,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,086,023.76. This trade represents a 35.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Victoria L. Creamer sold 4,179 shares of Charles River Laboratories International stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $259.16, for a total transaction of $1,083,029.64. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 30,051 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,788,017.16. This trade represents a 12.21% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 119,603 shares of company stock valued at $28,916,928. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Charles River Laboratories International

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Madison Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Charles River Laboratories International during the 2nd quarter worth $3,805,000. Great Lakes Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Charles River Laboratories International in the 2nd quarter valued at $459,000. Trust Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International during the 2nd quarter valued at $129,000. Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 36.9% during the 2nd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 19,306 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $4,378,000 after purchasing an additional 5,200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Czech National Bank grew its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 13,710 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $3,109,000 after purchasing an additional 307 shares in the last quarter. 98.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.