Key facts, as of
As of September 29, 2026, Charles River Laboratories (CRL) trades at $295.96, up 101.3% over the past year. Its 52-week range runs from $146.20 to $303.31; the price is 2.4% below that high. It sits 41.9% above its 200-day average of $208.54, the usual sign of a long-term uptrend. Its 30-day volatility is 35.3% annualized, which we rate high risk.
Cite: Portfolio Terminal, "Charles River Laboratories (CRL) stock analysis", 2026-09-29. https://portfolio-terminal.com/analyse/crl
Where it trades today
trading 95% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
What to weigh before acting
What Matters Now
- The read on the stock is often driven by pipeline durability, reimbursement pressure, and whether new launches can offset patent cliffs.
- Recent realized volatility is running around 35.3%, above the sector norm of 22.0%, so position sizing matters more than usual.
- Relative performance versus UNH, JNJ, PFE matters here because leadership inside healthcare rarely stays static for long.
Portfolio Use Case
- CRL is more useful for investors comparing conviction names inside healthcare than for someone looking for a passive “set and forget” holding.
- This name works better as a satellite or higher-conviction growth position because it can amplify market swings in both directions.
- The stock becomes more useful when paired with an explicit catalyst watchlist, because sector sentiment can shift quickly around policy, rates, or pipeline news.
What Would Change the View
- Volatility is already above the sector norm, so even a correct long-term thesis can be painful if the position size is too aggressive.
- There is little income cushion here, so total return depends mainly on price appreciation and execution staying on track.
- The view would need revisiting if peers such as UNH, JNJ, PFE start winning the marginal flow or posting cleaner operating momentum.
Methodology
- Price, market cap, beta, yield, and liquidity fields for CRL come from Yahoo Finance quote and summary data.
- 30-day volatility is calculated from recent daily returns and annualized using a 252-trading-day convention.
- Sector context uses stored benchmark averages for Healthcare so each page compares the ticker against a stable peer baseline rather than against the whole market.
- Peer comparisons use the Portfolio Terminal coverage set and highlight nearby listed alternatives such as UNH, JNJ, PFE.
Sources
- Yahoo Finance quote dataopen →
Live quote, valuation, beta, yield, and volume fields used for CRL. Last refresh: Sep 29, 2026, 10:33 PM.
- Portfolio Terminal methodologyopen →
Explains how analytics, refresh cadence, and portfolio interpretation work across the product.
- Peer set and coverage context
Comparative context for this page is anchored around nearby tracked names such as UNH, JNJ, PFE.
What Charles River Laboratories does
Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. provides drug discovery, non-clinical development, and safety testing services in the United States, Europe, Canada, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The Research Models and Services segment produces and sells rodents, and purpose-bred rats and mice for use by researchers. This segment also provides a range of services to assist its clients in supporting the use of research models in research and screening pre-clinical drug candidates, including genetically engineered models and services, insourcing solutions, and research animal diagnostic services; and engages in development and production of cell therapies. The Discovery and Safety…
What analysts expect
CRL carries a buy consensus from 14 analysts, with an average price target of $301.29 versus $295.96 today (+1.8%). Targets are estimates and can move quickly after earnings.
Consensus aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Targets are estimates, not forecasts.
How the business is doing
CRL generated $4.00B in trailing revenue (-2.7% year over year), with a -6.0% net margin, and $468.86M of free cash flow, against $2.84B of net debt.
The numbers, year by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Gross profit | Operating income | Net income | EPS | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4.02B | $1.32B | $401.14M | -$144.34M | -$2.91 | $518.49M |
| 2024 | $4.05B | $1.33B | $442.35M | $10.30M | $0.20 | $501.61M |
| 2023 | $4.13B | $1.50B | $617.26M | $474.62M | $9.27 | $365.37M |
| 2022 | $3.98B | $1.46B | $650.98M | $486.23M | $9.57 | $294.91M |
When it reports next
Estimates aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Dates move and estimates change until the report lands.
How it sits in healthcare
Defensive sector including pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical devices, and healthcare services.
The companies it competes with
CRL beside the healthcare names it is usually measured against.
What the chart is saying
In an uptrend, 2.4% under its 1-year high with no resistance above.
uptrend- Price is 8.8% above its 50-day average and 41.9% above its 200-day.
- The 50-day crossed above the 200-day on 2026-07-06 (a “golden cross”).
- RSI at 62 is neither stretched nor washed out.
- Nothing above has stopped it this year; the nearest floor is $237.24 (-19.8%).
A description of the chart, not advice. Indicators describe what the price has done; none of them knows what it does next.
Questions people ask about it
Is CRL a good buy right now?
Charles River Laboratories operates in the Healthcare sector. Current risk level is High based on 35.3% volatility.
Does CRL pay dividends?
Charles River Laboratories does not currently pay a regular dividend. The company may be reinvesting profits for growth.
How volatile is CRL?
With 30-day annualized volatility of 35.3% and beta of 1.41, CRL is classified as High risk. Expect larger swings than the broader market during volatile periods.
What is the analyst price target for CRL?
The average analyst price target for Charles River Laboratories (CRL) is $301.29 based on 14 analyst estimates, about 1.8% above the current price of $295.96. The published range runs from $145.00 to $340.00.
How much revenue does CRL generate?
Charles River Laboratories reported $4.00B in trailing twelve-month revenue. Revenue growth is running at -2.7% year over year. Net margin sits at -6.0%. Figures are aggregated from company filings by Yahoo Finance and refresh on an hourly cadence.
Compare CRL with anything
Five years side by side: what $10,000 became, how far each fell, whether they move together.