Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL)
Charles River Laboratories acts as the essential 'backstage crew' for pharmaceutical companies, helping them test and develop new medicines before they reach patients.
Is Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Essential role in the global drug development supply chain. Worth weighing: Currently reporting negative net margins.
Is this normal for this company?
Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.
Share price divided by the earnings actually reported over the four most recent quarters. The range is the same calculation at each of this company's last few results, so roughly the past year.
Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.
How these ranges are built
Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.
What does Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. do?
Think of Charles River as a massive research partner that handles the complex, time-consuming testing required to prove a new drug is safe and effective. It earns its keep by charging big pharmaceutical and biotech firms for these laboratory services and specialized research models. How much their clients—often smaller, cash-strapped biotech firms—spend on research and development during tougher economic times is the key factor.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on momentum and value, and weakest on growth.
- !Pays no dividend - the whole return rides on the share price
- !Revenue slipped about 3% over the year
- Momentum screens high
- Quality screens low
- Growth screens low
- Income screens low
Does Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. pay a dividend?
No - Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. doesn't currently pay a dividend, so the whole return would rest on the share price. Plenty of growing companies reinvest their profits instead of paying them out - neither approach is better or worse, they're just different.
Does Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. have more cash or more debt?
It holds about $192.02M in cash against about $3.03B of debt - so it has net debt of about $2.84B. Debt is not automatically a problem - it funds growth - but it has to be serviced and repaid, which matters more when profits wobble.
From the latest reported balance sheet. Cash and debt levels change, and some borrowing is normal - this is context, not a judgment.
What do Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How has it performed?
Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. This is the share price only; any dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. fell as much as −55% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.
Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
How has it done year by year?
Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.
A closer look at the numbers
Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
How much money does Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
When does Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-11-04 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-07 | $1.95 | $2.06 | Beat +5% |
| 2026-02-18 | $2.35 | $2.39 | Beat +2% |
| 2025-11-05 | $2.34 | $2.43 | Beat +4% |
| 2025-08-06 | $2.55 | $3.12 | Beat +22% |
| 2025-05-07 | $2.07 | $2.34 | Beat +13% |
| 2025-02-19 | $2.53 | $2.66 | Beat +5% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 6 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Where these figures come from
Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.
What are the scenarios for Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros, cons and common questions?
The case each way, and the questions people ask
Dominant market position leads to strong, consistent profit growth.
Long-term decline in outsourcing trends or regulatory hurdles.
What are the pros and cons of Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.?
A balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Essential role in the global drug development supply chain
- Deep expertise and established infrastructure
- Strong relationships with major pharmaceutical companies
- Currently reporting negative net margins
- High sensitivity to biotech industry funding cycles
- No dividend payments for income-focused investors
- Regulatory changes affecting laboratory testing standards
- Economic downturns causing clients to slash research budgets
- High share price volatility compared to the wider market
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A sustained return to positive net profit margins
- A significant shift in how pharmaceutical companies handle their research internally
Common questions about Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.
Does Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. pay a dividend?
No - Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend, so the return would rest on the share price. Many growing companies reinvest profits instead of paying them out.
When does Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. report earnings next?
Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-11-04. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.
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CRISPR Therapeutics AGBuilt from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.