Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.12 EPS

Posted by Stanley Muller on Nov 5th, 2026

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL – Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Wednesday. The medical research company reported $3.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.12, FiscalAI reports. 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 $982.73 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $960.36 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.43 EPS. Charles River Laboratories International’s quarterly revenue was down 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Here are the key takeaways from Charles River Laboratories International’s conference call:

Third-quarter revenue grew 4.7%, the strongest growth in three years, and adjusted EPS rose 27% to $3.09, both ahead of expectations. Charles River raised its 2026 organic revenue growth outlook to at least 1.5% and EPS guidance to $11.35–$11.55.
Demand strengthened in DSA, with organic growth of 5.9%, bookings up 32% year over year, and book-to-bill of 1.09x for a fourth consecutive quarter above 1.0x. Management expects mid-single-digit DSA growth in Q4, while manufacturing returned to 7.4% organic growth.
Operating margin expanded year over year, and the company expects further sequential improvement in Q4; its Create the Future program is projected to generate more than $300 million in cumulative savings over four years. Management expects 2027 margin improvement to exceed its previously discussed 75-basis-point annual average.
RMS revenue declined 0.6% organically as weaker North American research-model demand and academic and government funding pressure offset growth in China. Management expects a modest reduction in RMS growth in Q4 and said this segment’s recovery may take time.
DSA pricing remains a constraint: current growth is volume-driven, and reduced discounting has not yet benefited bookings or revenue. If trends hold, management does not expect pricing gains to affect revenue until at least the second half of 2027.

Charles River Laboratories International Stock Performance

Shares of Charles River Laboratories International stock traded down $13.75 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $312.54. 1,196,192 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 963,630. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.35. The company has a market capitalization of $14.92 billion, a P/E ratio of -64.44, a P/E/G ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $304.55 and a 200 day simple moving average of $224.12. Charles River Laboratories International has a 12 month low of $146.20 and a 12 month high of $379.63.

Key Headlines Impacting Charles River Laboratories International

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

Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target to $375 from $330 and maintained an “overweight” rating, citing implied upside of 19.4% from the quoted share price. Barclays rating information
Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada lifted its target to $352 from $322 and kept an “outperform” rating, indicating 12.1% implied upside. Royal Bank of Canada rating information
Positive Sentiment: CRL’s third-quarter adjusted earnings of $3.09 per share and revenue of $982.7 million topped estimates of about $2.97 and $960.4 million. Organic growth and margin expansion helped the company raise its 2026 outlook. Charles River Q3 earnings and outlook
Neutral Sentiment: Despite the quarterly beat, revenue declined 2.2% year over year, a sign that underlying growth remains a consideration for investors.
Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded CRL from “strong-buy” to “hold,” offering a more cautious view alongside the favorable analyst target revisions. Zacks Research rating information

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director James C. Foster sold 24,042 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.00, for a total transaction of $8,414,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 31,596 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,058,600. This trade represents a 43.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Shannon Parisotto sold 2,156 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $344.41, for a total transaction of $742,547.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,807 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,655,578.87. The trade was a 30.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 102,299 shares of company stock valued at $31,050,863. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on CRL shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Charles River Laboratories International from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $180.00 to $310.00 in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $305.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 28th. Piper Sandler set a $300.00 target price on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Argus set a $330.00 target price on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Thursday, September 17th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $300.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Charles River Laboratories International presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $306.50.

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Charles River Laboratories International Company Profile

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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.