Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 11.150-11.450 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 11.090. The company issued revenue guidance of $3.9 billion-$3.9 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $3.8 billion.

Charles River Laboratories International Stock Up 10.8%

Shares of Charles River Laboratories International stock traded up $25.22 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $259.34. The stock had a trading volume of 1,285,004 shares, compared to its average volume of 920,136. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. The company has a market capitalization of $12.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -69.10, a P/E/G ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.38. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $209.54 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $188.12. Charles River Laboratories International has a 52 week low of $144.26 and a 52 week high of $267.99.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.74 by $0.28. Charles River Laboratories International had a positive return on equity of 15.36% and a negative net margin of 4.59%.The business had revenue of $1 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $977.20 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.12 earnings per share. Charles River Laboratories International’s quarterly revenue was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Charles River Laboratories International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.150-11.450 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Charles River Laboratories International will post 11.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CRL has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $220.00 price objective on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Friday, May 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $165.00 to $160.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Robert W. Baird set a $213.00 price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Friday, May 8th. CLSA cut Charles River Laboratories International from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $219.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $220.75.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Charles River Laboratories International news, Director James C. Foster sold 75,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.00, for a total transaction of $16,875,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 31,596 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,109,100. The trade was a 70.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Charles River Laboratories International

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

• Positive Sentiment: CRL reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $3.02 per share, exceeding analyst estimates of approximately $2.72–$2.74. Revenue of about $1.0 billion also surpassed the roughly $977 million consensus. CRL Q2 Earnings and Revenues Top, 2026 View Up
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its FY 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $11.15–$11.45, above the prior consensus near $11.09, and issued revenue guidance of approximately $3.9 billion, ahead of Wall Street expectations. Charles River lifts profit forecast on improving biotech demand
• Positive Sentiment: Management cited improving demand from biotechnology customers for drug discovery and development services, along with a positive inflection in order trends. The Discovery and Safety Assessment segment reportedly has a strong backlog and book-to-bill ratio. CRL Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Margin expansion is expected to benefit from cost reductions and recent divestitures, supporting the higher profit outlook even as the company targets only slightly positive organic revenue growth. Charles River: Near-Term Inflection But Long-Term Risk
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings beat was partly offset by comparisons with a strong prior-year quarter, making execution and sustained biotech demand important for validating the recovery.
• Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter revenue declined 2.7% year over year, while EPS fell from $3.12 a year earlier. Research Models and Services continues to face weakness in the United States, despite strength in China, leaving longer-term growth risks. CRL Q2 Key Metrics Versus Estimates

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Charles River Laboratories International

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Compound Planning Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 19.6% in the fourth quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 1,668 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $333,000 after purchasing an additional 273 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 115.8% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,696,150 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $537,828,000 after buying an additional 1,446,972 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in Charles River Laboratories International by 236.2% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 35,170 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $7,016,000 after buying an additional 24,708 shares during the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV grew its stake in Charles River Laboratories International by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 6,316 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $1,260,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Tennessee Department of Treasury raised its holdings in Charles River Laboratories International by 32.7% in the 4th quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury now owns 12,593 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $2,651,000 after acquiring an additional 3,104 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.91% of the company’s stock.

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.