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Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL)

Healthcare Balanced

Charles River Laboratories acts as the essential 'backstage crew' for pharmaceutical companies, helping them test and develop new medicines before they reach patients.

$232.51

Is Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?

The honest version: Charles River Laboratories acts as the essential 'backstage crew' for pharmaceutical companies, helping them test and develop new medicines before they reach patients.

No rating · no target price · nothing for sale here
Price-4.3%
Priced in USD - as a UK investor your £ return also moves with the pound-to-dollar exchange rate, on top of the share price itself.
52-week range+50% past year
$232.51
Low $144.26High $242.73
Where today's price sits versus its past year - context, not a signal.
If you had put $1,000 into Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.
$957-4%

Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. 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.

Market cap: The company's total value on the stock market - share price times the number of shares. Big = 'large-cap', small = 'small-cap'.
$11.20B
Avg volume: How many shares change hands on a typical day. Higher means it's easy to buy or exit without moving the price.
895.90K
Day range: The lowest and highest price the shares traded at during the latest day.
$230.06 – $237.06
52-week range: The lowest and highest the shares have traded over the past year - a sense of how wide the swings have been.
$144.26 – $242.73
Dividend yield: The yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price - roughly the income you'd earn from dividends alone.
0.0%
Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down.
1.40
How bumpy is it?Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down. 1.40
Calm
Wild
Bumpier than the market

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.

Why has it been moving?▲ +2% past week · ▲ +50% past year

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.

The bull case

Dominant market position leads to strong, consistent profit growth.

The bear case

Long-term decline in outsourcing trends or regulatory hurdles.

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.

VQGMI
Factor profile

On our factor screen it looks strongest on momentum and value, and weakest on growth.

Value: How cheap the stock looks versus profits, sales and assets (higher = cheaper). 58Quality: How profitable and financially healthy the company is (higher = stronger). 21Growth: How fast revenue and earnings are growing (higher = faster). 15Momentum: How the share price has been trending recently (higher = stronger recent run). 82Income: The dividend income on offer and how sustainable it looks (higher = more/steadier). 16
Quick checks
What's strong
  • Momentum screens high (82/100)
  • Essential role in the global drug development supply chain
  • Deep expertise and established infrastructure
  • Strong relationships with major pharmaceutical companies
What to watch
  • Quality screens low (21/100)
  • Growth screens low (15/100)
  • Income screens low (16/100)
  • Regulatory changes affecting laboratory testing standards
  • Economic downturns causing clients to slash research budgets

What do Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.'s numbers mean?

Forward P/E
18.6
This shows how much you are paying for each pound of expected future earnings; a lower number can sometimes suggest a company is cheaper relative to its profit potential.
P/S
2.7
This compares the company's total market value to its annual sales, helping you see how much investors are paying for every pound of revenue the business generates.
Net margin
-4.6%
This negative figure shows that, after all expenses are paid, the company is currently spending more than it brings in, which is a key area for management to turn around.
Beta
1.4
A beta above 1.0 means the share price tends to be more jumpy and sensitive to wider stock market movements than the average company.

How much money does Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. make?

Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.

RevenueNet income
$0$258.03M$516.07M$774.10M$1.03BQ1 25Q2 25Q3 25Q4 25Q1 26
Gross margin
34.5%
Net margin
-4.6%
Return on equity
-5.9%

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.

More in Healthcare

Eli LillyWest Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.Incyte CorporationThe Cigna GroupZimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.Moderna, Inc.Gilead Sciences, Inc.Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

What are the scenarios for Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.?

An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.

$264$233$146today · $233▲ Bull · $250• Base · $233▼ Bear · $215in 1 yearILLUSTRATIVE · NOT A PREDICTION OR PRICE TARGET
Bull
+5% to +10%Increased demand for outsourced research services.
Base
-2% to +2%Steady demand from existing pharmaceutical partners.
Bear
-5% to -10%Reduced spending from biotech clients due to funding constraints.

What are the pros and cons of Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.?

3bull points
6bear points

How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.

The bull case3
  • Essential role in the global drug development supply chain
  • Deep expertise and established infrastructure
  • Strong relationships with major pharmaceutical companies
The catch3
  • Currently reporting negative net margins
  • High sensitivity to biotech industry funding cycles
  • No dividend payments for income-focused investors
Key risks3
  • Regulatory changes affecting laboratory testing standards
  • Economic downturns causing clients to slash research budgets
  • High share price volatility compared to the wider market
What would flip the thesis

The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.

Confidence: medium · data: USD · flags: pe, earnings_growth · Charts by TradingView Lightweight Charts™
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Built 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 2026-08-01 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.

Figures as of 2026-08-01. Prices may be delayed and numbers can go stale - always double-check before acting.