Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) Hits New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

Shares of Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL) reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday. The stock traded as high as $335.72 and last traded at $338.57, with a volume of 540,666 shares. The stock had previously closed at $315.45.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $300.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $264.00 to $295.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Argus set a $330.00 price objective on Charles River Laboratories International in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $302.33.

Charles River Laboratories International Trading Up 7.8%

The company has a 50 day moving average price of $290.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $230.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -70.14, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.35.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The medical research company reported $3.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $1 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $980.53 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.12 earnings per share. The firm’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, research analysts forecast that Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. will post 11.38 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Charles River Laboratories International

In related news, Director Nancy C. Andrews sold 573 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.24, for a total transaction 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 trade represents a 28.49% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director James Foster sold 33,561 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, 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. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 91,971 shares of company stock worth $26,033,968. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Charles River Laboratories International

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 127.9% in the 3rd quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 98 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in Charles River Laboratories International by 150.7% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 30,746 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $9,070,000 after buying an additional 18,482 shares during the period. Tred Avon Family Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International in the third quarter valued at approximately $241,000. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd lifted its position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 3,726.0% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 66,994 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $19,764,000 after acquiring an additional 65,243 shares during the period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in Charles River Laboratories International by 182.8% during the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 164 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. 98.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Charles River Laboratories International

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc is a contract research and laboratory services company that supports pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and academic research organizations. The company provides products and services used throughout the drug-development process, from early discovery and research through preclinical testing and manufacturing support.

Its offerings include research models, laboratory animal management, discovery and safety assessment services, toxicology testing, bioanalysis, and support for biologic, cell and gene therapy programs.