Zacks Research Has Optimistic Opinion of CRL FY2026 Earnings

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research increased their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research note issued to investors on Monday, October 5th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the medical research company will post earnings per share of $11.17 for the year, up from their prior forecast of $11.15. Zacks Research has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Charles River Laboratories International’s current full-year earnings is $11.36 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Charles River Laboratories International’s Q3 2027 earnings at $3.31 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $12.54 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $3.24 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $3.40 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $3.51 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $13.92 EPS.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The medical research company reported $3.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $1 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $980.53 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.12 EPS. The business’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.

CRL has been the subject of several other research reports. Evercore set a $330.00 price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Friday, September 25th. Piper Sandler set a $300.00 price objective on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Argus set a $330.00 target price on Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Thursday, September 17th. CLSA cut Charles River Laboratories International from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $219.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price target on Charles River Laboratories International from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Charles River Laboratories International has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $300.11.

Charles River Laboratories International Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE:CRL opened at $300.21 on Tuesday. Charles River Laboratories International has a fifty-two week low of $146.20 and a fifty-two week high of $333.30. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $281.78 and its 200 day moving average price is $221.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The stock has a market cap of $14.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -61.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.40.

Institutional Trading of Charles River Laboratories International

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CRL. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position 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 valued at $285,001,000 after purchasing an additional 210,260 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in Charles River Laboratories International by 5.0% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,135,027 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $195,792,000 after buying an additional 54,500 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its position in Charles River Laboratories International by 8.7% during the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 836,240 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $166,813,000 after buying an additional 66,803 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its stake in Charles River Laboratories International by 175.2% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 773,315 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $133,397,000 after buying an additional 492,301 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clearbridge Investments LLC lifted its stake in Charles River Laboratories International by 23.0% in the fourth quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 511,618 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $102,058,000 after buying an additional 95,619 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.91% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Charles River Laboratories International

In related news, EVP Shannon M. Parisotto sold 981 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, October 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.44, for a total value of $302,579.64. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,807 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,482,671.08. This trade represents a 16.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director James Foster sold 33,561 shares of Charles River Laboratories International stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total transaction of $10,068,300.00. Following the sale, the director owned 31,596 shares in the company, valued at $9,478,800. This represents a 51.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 91,971 shares of company stock valued at $26,033,968 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Charles River Laboratories International News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised earnings forecasts. Zacks Research increased its FY2026 EPS estimate to $11.17 from $11.15, FY2027 to $12.54 from $12.49, and FY2028 to $13.92 from $13.82. It also made modest upward revisions to several quarterly estimates and maintained a “Strong-Buy” rating. Zacks Research earnings forecast
• Positive Sentiment: UBS upgraded CRL to Strong Buy, providing additional institutional support after the company’s substantial 12-month advance. UBS upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Operational momentum remains a key bullish theme. Recent coverage points to improving Research Models and Services trends, expanding AI-enabled testing, healthy cash flow, and the ability to fund share buybacks and investment. Charles River rally analysis
• Positive Sentiment: Charles River and Autolomous launched Apollo Orchestrate, a digital laboratory-execution solution integrated within Charles River’s Apollo platform. The initiative could strengthen the company’s technology offering and improve laboratory efficiency. Apollo Orchestrate launch
• Neutral Sentiment: A Zacks comparison examines whether CRL or Progyny offers the more attractive value opportunity. The article may influence valuation-focused investors, but the headline does not disclose a definitive preference. PGNY versus CRL value analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and recent gains may be limiting near-term upside. With CRL near its 12-month high after a powerful rally, investors may be taking profits while awaiting further earnings confirmation. The company’s latest reported revenue declined 2.7% year over year, adding a reason for caution despite earnings beating estimates.

Charles River Laboratories International Company Profile

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc is a contract research organization that provides products and services to support pharmaceutical, biotechnology and academic research. The company helps customers discover, develop and manufacture new medicines, vaccines and other healthcare products.

Its offerings include research models and related services, preclinical drug discovery, pharmacology, toxicology, bioanalysis and safety assessment. Charles River also provides laboratory and manufacturing solutions for biologics, cell and gene therapies, microbial testing and other specialized life sciences applications.

Founded in 1947, Charles River Laboratories serves customers worldwide through operations across North America, Europe and Asia.