With a market cap of $9.5 billion, Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL) is a leading American contract research organisation (CRO) serving the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, government and academic sectors. The Wilmington, Massachusetts-based company provides preclinical and early-stage drug discovery, safety assessment, and laboratory services that support the development of new drugs, vaccines and medical devices.
Companies worth between $2 billion and $10 billion are generally described as "mid-cap stocks." CRL fits right into that category. It benefits from a strong competitive position driven by its end-to-end preclinical drug development capabilities, market leadership in research models, and deep, long-standing relationships with pharmaceutical and biotech clients. Its global scale, regulatory expertise, and specialized scientific infrastructure create high barriers to entry and significant switching costs, supporting recurring revenues and customer retention.
CRL touched its 52-week high of $200.58 in the last trading session. The stock has gained 30.2% over the past three months, surpassing the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s ($DOWI) 5.5% rise during the same time frame.
However, the longer-term picture remains more subdued. On a year-to-date basis, CRL is up 7.3%, with a 4% gain over the past 52 weeks, well behind the Dow’s 13.8% rise in 2025 and 10.5% increase over the past year.
That said, the stock’s sustained move above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages since late September signals a strengthening technical uptrend and a potential shift in investor sentiment.
On Dec. 15, shares of Charles River Laboratories gained more than 2% after JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) raised its price target on the stock to $190 from $165, reflecting increased optimism around the company’s fundamentals and future growth prospects. The upgrade signaled stronger analyst confidence in CRL’s ability to navigate near-term challenges and deliver improved performance over the medium term.
When compared to its peer, CRL has underperformed Labcorp Holdings Inc.’s (LH) 14.8% surge on a YTD basis and 13.5% returns over the past 52 weeks.
Among the 16 analysts covering the CRL stock, the consensus rating is a “Moderate Buy.” The stock currently trades above the mean price target of $193.28.
On the date of publication, Kritika Sarmah did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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