Wilmington, Massachusetts-based Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL) provides drug discovery, non-clinical development, and safety testing services. It is valued at a market cap of $7.6 billion.
Companies worth $2 billion or more are typically classified as “mid-cap stocks,” and CRL fits the label perfectly, with its market cap exceeding this threshold, underscoring its size, influence, and dominance within the diagnostics & research industry. By partnering with global research institutions and commercial disruptors, the company aims to accelerate the timeline from basic research to regulatory approval while maintaining a disciplined approach to capital allocation and operational efficiency.
This healthcare company has dipped 31% from its 52-week high of $228.88, reached on Jan. 13. Shares of CRL have declined 22.1% over the past three months, notably underperforming the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLV) 6.6% drop during the same time frame.
Moreover, on a YTD basis, shares of CRL are down 20.8%, compared to XLV’s 6.5% loss. In the longer term, CRL has fallen 5.6% over the past 52 weeks, lagging XLV’s 1.3% downtick over the same time frame.
To confirm its bearish trend, CRL has been trading below its 200-day moving average since early March and has remained below its 50-day moving average since early February.
On Feb. 18, CRL shares tumbled marginally despite posting better-than-expected Q4 results. The company’s adjusted EPS of $2.39 topped analyst expectations of $2.33, while its revenue of $994.2 million surpassed consensus estimates by a slight margin. It expects fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS to be between $10.70 and $11.20.
CRL has outpaced its rival, IQVIA Holdings Inc. (IQV), which decreased 10.2% over the past 52 weeks and 25.9% on a YTD basis.
Despite CRL’s recent underperformance, analysts remain moderately optimistic about its prospects. The stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy” from the 16 analysts covering it, and the mean price target of $202.36 suggests a 28.1% premium to its current price levels.
On the date of publication, Neharika Jain did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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