Key facts, as of
As of October 6, 2026, Charles River Laboratories (CRL) trades at $304.96, up 74.3% over the past year. Its 52-week range runs from $146.20 to $333.30; the price is 8.5% below that high. It is 33.7% below its all-time high of $460.21, reached in September 2021. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +254.0%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY). It sits 44.5% above its 200-day average of $211.09, the usual sign of a long-term uptrend. Its 30-day volatility is 40.9% annualized, which we rate high risk.
Cite: Portfolio Terminal, "Charles River Laboratories (CRL) stock analysis", 2026-10-06. https://portfolio-terminal.com/analyse/crl
Where it trades today
trading 85% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
How far it is from its record
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) is 33.7% below its all-time high of $460.21, reached in September 2021. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +254.0%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY).
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 40.9%, above the sector norm of 22.0%, so position sizing matters more than usual.
- CRL is in a bullish short-term regime and only 8.5% below its 52-week high, so the question is whether fundamentals can keep pace with that stronger tape.
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
- If the short-term trend rolls over while volume fades, the market may stop paying up for momentum before the fundamentals change.
- 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.
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: Oct 6, 2026, 11:07 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 15 analysts, with an average price target of $305.00 versus $304.96 today (+0.0%). 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.
Which ETFs hold it
CRL is in 5 of the 30 ETFs we track. It weighs most in XLV: 0.23% of the fund, holding #51 of 62.
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, 8.5% under its 1-year high with no resistance above.
uptrend- Price is 9.2% above its 50-day average and 44.5% 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 (-22.2%).
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 investment in 2026?
Charles River Laboratories operates in the Healthcare sector. Check our real-time metrics above for current valuation.
What is the risk level of CRL?
Based on 30-day volatility of 40.9%, CRL has HIGH risk. Beta of 1.40 indicates higher sensitivity to market movements than average.
Does CRL pay dividends?
Charles River Laboratories currently does not pay a regular dividend.
How far is CRL from its all-time high?
Charles River Laboratories is 33.7% below its all-time high of $460.21, reached in September 2021. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +254.0%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY).
Which ETFs hold CRL?
5 of the 30 popular ETFs we track hold Charles River Laboratories. The largest weights: XLV (0.23%), SPY (0.02%), IVV (0.02%), VOO (0.02%) and VTI (0.02%). Measured on each issuer's full holdings file, dated August 31 to September 24, 2026.
How much of VOO is CRL?
0.02%, as of August 31, 2026: CRL is holding #444 of 505 in Vanguard's file for VOO. $1,000 in VOO puts about $0.21 in Charles River Laboratories.
What is the analyst price target for CRL?
The average analyst price target for Charles River Laboratories (CRL) is $305.00 based on 15 analyst estimates, about 0.0% above the current price of $304.96. The published range runs from $145.00 to $357.00.
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.