Equities Analysts Offer Predictions for CRL Q3 Earnings

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research reduced their Q3 2026 EPS estimates for Charles River Laboratories International in a research report issued on Wednesday, August 26th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the medical research company will post earnings of $2.94 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $2.98. The consensus estimate for Charles River Laboratories International’s current full-year earnings is $11.35 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Charles River Laboratories International’s Q4 2026 earnings at $3.13 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $11.15 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.56 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $3.23 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $3.30 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $3.40 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $12.49 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $3.23 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $13.82 EPS.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on CRL. Piper Sandler set a $300.00 price objective on Charles River Laboratories International in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Robert W. Baird set a $291.00 target price on Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Thursday, August 6th. BNP Paribas Exane set a $250.00 target price on Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $260.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Charles River Laboratories International currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $255.65.

Charles River Laboratories International Stock Performance

CRL stock opened at $295.64 on Thursday. Charles River Laboratories International has a twelve month low of $144.26 and a twelve month high of $300.59. 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 company has a market cap of $14.11 billion, a P/E ratio of -60.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 1.38. The business’s fifty day moving average is $241.70 and its 200-day moving average is $195.88.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.77 by $0.25. Charles River Laboratories International had a negative net margin of 5.96% and a positive return on equity of 15.75%. The firm had revenue of $1 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $980.53 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.12 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter 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.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Michael Gunnar Knell sold 6,645 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.38, for a total transaction of $1,730,225.10. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 11,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,086,023.76. This represents a 35.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Victoria L. Creamer sold 4,179 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 30,051 shares in the company, valued at $7,788,017.16. This trade represents a 12.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 132,429 shares of company stock worth $32,538,088 in the last three months. 1.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles River Laboratories International

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 167.6% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,715 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $253,000 after buying an additional 1,074 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in Charles River Laboratories International during the 1st quarter worth approximately $418,000. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in Charles River Laboratories International by 41.9% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 5,469 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $830,000 after acquiring an additional 1,616 shares during the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. grew its stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 2,333 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $354,000 after acquiring an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System raised its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 3.9% in the second quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 84,605 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $12,837,000 after purchasing an additional 3,198 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.91% of the company’s stock.

Charles River Laboratories International News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Medigen partnership supports growth potential: Medigen has teamed up with Charles River to help advance the global development and commercialization of an enterovirus vaccine. The agreement could create additional opportunities for CRL’s research, testing, and manufacturing services. Medigen links up with Charles River in push to take enterovirus vaccine global
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term earnings forecasts increased: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $11.15 from $10.91, FY2027 to $12.49 from $12.11, and FY2028 to $13.82 from $13.01. Estimates for Q2 2027, Q3 2027, and Q1 2028 were also increased, indicating improved expectations for earnings momentum beyond the immediate quarters.
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street sentiment remains a focus: A recent report reviews whether analysts are bullish or bearish on CRL, but the provided information does not identify a new consensus rating or price-target change. Is Wall Street bullish or bearish on Charles River Laboratories stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Several near-term estimates were trimmed: Zacks lowered Q3 2026 EPS to $2.94 from $2.98, Q4 2026 to $3.13 from $3.15, and Q1 2027 to $2.56 from $2.58. The Q4 2027 forecast also fell slightly to $3.40 from $3.43, suggesting some caution about near-term operating performance.

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.