Charles River Laboratories (CRL) stock
Health Care · Life Sciences Tools & Services
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) is a Life Sciences Tools & Services company in the Health Care sector, headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts. As of October 23, 2026, CRL closed at $345.37, a market capitalization of $16.64 billion, the 436th largest company in the S&P 500. Over the last twelve months it generated $4.00 billion in revenue (-3% year over year) and $370.61 million in free cash flow.
- 1-year total return: +80.9% (dividends reinvested)
- 5-year return: -3.9% a year
- 52-week range: $146.20 – $351.21
- Gross margin 34.6%, operating margin 15.1%
- FI Handbook report card: C- across 10 metrics
- 51st largest of 60 Health Care stocks in the S&P 500
CRL price chart
1Y price change: +80.9% (price only; total returns below include dividends)
| Total return | 1M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | MAX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRL | +24.5% | +73.1% | +80.9% | +24.0% | -3.9% | +15.4% | +11.0% |
Dividends reinvested. 3Y and longer are annualized; MAX is annualized since 2000.
CRL key statistics
- Market cap
- $16.6B
- #436 in S&P 500
- P/E (TTM)
- —
- Forward P/E
- 27.1x
- EPS (TTM)
- $-4.80
- Revenue (TTM)
- $4.0B
- -3%
- Free cash flow
- $370.6M
- Gross margin
- 34.6%
- Operating margin
- 15.1%
- Return on equity
- -7.5%
- Dividend yield
- None
- 52-week range
- $146.20 – $351.21
- Beta
- 1.40
- Price / sales
- 4.2x
- EV / EBITDA
- 22.8x
- Debt / equity
- 1.05x
- Employees
- 18,300
CRL report card
C-Ten fundamentals graded A to F against fixed thresholds. Not a buy or sell rating.
- Revenue growth-2.7%F
- Gross margin34.6%C
- Operating margin15.1%C
- FCF margin9.3%C
- Return on equity-7.5%F
- Net debt / EBITDA3.3xD
- Forward P/E27.1xC
- PEG ratio0.1xA
- Shareholder yield2.2%C
- Share count change / yr-0.4%C
Charles River Laboratories Inte financials
Revenue went from $1.7B in fiscal 2016 to $4.0B in fiscal 2025, growing 10.2% a year.
| Fiscal year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $1.7B | $1.9B | $2.3B | $2.6B | $2.9B | $3.5B | $4.0B | $4.1B | $4.0B | $4.0B |
| Gross profit | $1.4B | $1.6B | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Operating income | $237.6M | $288.3M | $331.4M | $351.2M | $432.7M | $589.9M | $651.0M | $617.3M | $227.3M | $25.2M |
| Net income | $154.8M | $123.4M | $226.4M | $252.0M | $364.3M | $391.0M | $486.2M | $474.6M | $22.2M | -$144.3M |
| EPS (diluted) | $3.23 | $2.54 | $4.62 | $5.07 | $7.20 | $7.60 | $9.48 | $9.22 | $0.20 | $-2.91 |
| Free cash flow | $261.6M | $235.6M | $301.1M | $340.4M | $380.0M | $532.0M | $294.9M | $365.4M | $501.6M | $518.5M |
| Buybacks | $12.3M | $106.9M | $13.8M | $18.1M | $24.0M | $40.7M | $38.7M | $24.2M | $119.2M | $360.7M |
| Diluted shares | 48.0M | 48.6M | 49.0M | 49.7M | 50.6M | 51.4M | 51.3M | 51.5M | 51.6M | 49.6M |
Source: SEC filings (10-K XBRL). EPS and share counts are split-adjusted.
What's priced into CRL?
A reverse DCF asks what growth the current price requires. With an enterprise value of $19.5B and $370.6M of trailing free cash flow, Charles River Laboratories Inte needs to grow free cash flow about 35.9% a year for ten years (fading to 3.0% terminal growth) to earn a 10% annual return. For context, free cash flow grew 6.4% a year over the last five years.
P/E ratio history
Current 830.3x vs. median 28.1x (10th–90th percentile 19.2x–52.9x).
A model, not a forecast or advice. Small changes in assumptions move the answer a lot.
CRL analyst price targets
15 analysts' average 12-month target is $314.20 (-9% vs. $345.37). Targets range from $145.00 to $357.00. 82% rate it a buy.
CRL earnings
Next report: November 4, 2026. Charles River Laboratories Inte has beaten EPS estimates 8 quarters in a row. Last quarter's revenue was $1.0B (-3% year over year).
| Report date | EPS estimate | EPS actual | Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 2026 | $2.74 | $3.02 | +10.3% |
| May 7, 2026 | $1.95 | $2.06 | +5.4% |
| Feb 18, 2026 | $2.35 | $2.39 | +1.9% |
| Nov 5, 2025 | $2.34 | $2.43 | +3.9% |
| Aug 6, 2025 | $2.55 | $3.12 | +22.4% |
| May 7, 2025 | $2.07 | $2.34 | +12.8% |
| Feb 19, 2025 | $2.53 | $2.66 | +5.2% |
| Nov 6, 2024 | $2.42 | $2.59 | +6.9% |
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CRL news
- 2 healthcare stocks to keep an eye on and 1 that underwhelm · Oct 23, 2026
- Global Clinical Trials Market Size, Share, Growth Trends, and Forecast, 2026-2035 | Clinical Trials Market set to more than Double to $144.4bn as Drugmakers Lean on Outside Researchers · Oct 23, 2026
- Labcorp, Charles River and FDA Announce Research Collaboration to Advance Preclinical Methods for Evaluating Drug Abuse Potential · Oct 22, 2026
- Charles River, Labcorp, and FDA Collaborate to Validate New Preclinical Methods for Abuse Potential Assessment · Oct 22, 2026
- Charles River Laboratories International (CRL) Partners With Magellan As Valuation Questions Linger · Oct 22, 2026
CRL stock FAQ
What is CRL's market cap?
Charles River Laboratories's market capitalization is $16.64 billion as of October 23, 2026, ranking 436th in the S&P 500.
Does CRL pay a dividend?
No. Charles River Laboratories does not currently pay a regular cash dividend.
How much has CRL stock returned?
Including reinvested dividends, CRL returned +80.9% over one year, -3.9% a year over five years, +15.4% a year over ten years through October 23, 2026.
Is CRL stock overvalued?
At today's price, a reverse discounted cash flow model (10% discount rate, 3% terminal growth) implies Charles River Laboratories must grow free cash flow about 36% a year for the next decade. Its free cash flow grew 6% a year over the last five years. Whether that is achievable decides if the stock is cheap or expensive. This is a model, not advice.
What is the CRL price target?
15 analysts cover CRL with an average 12-month price target of $314.20, -9% from the current price. 82% of them rate it a buy.
When does CRL report earnings?
Charles River Laboratories is expected to report earnings on November 4, 2026. It has beaten EPS estimates 8 quarters in a row.
How many employees does Charles River Laboratories have?
Charles River Laboratories has about 18,300 full-time employees, or $218,524 of revenue per employee.
Sources: SEC EDGAR filings, Yahoo Finance market data (delayed), FI Handbook calculations. Last close October 23, 2026. Methodology