CRL

HoldHot Air

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. · Healthcare · United States · $16.6B cap · $421.8M/day traded

$373.98 +4.2% · close 28 Oct · scored 29 Oct

Hot Air: Rising on momentum alone: weak business, rich price.

62
StockRank
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Report expected 4 Nov: the next-year EPS estimate has risen 3.4% over the last 14 weeks.

Quality
45
Value
28
Momentum
84

As of 29 Oct 2026, MoatMap's StockRank for Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL) is 62/100, ranked against 24,000+ stocks in 35 markets (Quality 45, Value 28, Momentum 84, each scored against its sector).

Does StockRank work? Each month we publish how every decile did, whichever way it went. See the record →

P/E (TTM)
—
peers 27.2x
ROE
-7.5%
peers -30.5%
D/E
1.1x
peers 0.2x
Dividend %
—
trailing yield

ABOUT CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.

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Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. is a leading global contract research organization (CRO), providing a comprehensive suite of preclinical and clinical laboratory services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, government, and academic clients. The company's competitive moat stems from its integrated service offerings, specialized scientific expertise, global operational scale, and the high switching costs for its clients in critical drug development phases. It serves as an indispensable partner in early-stage drug discovery and development.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY (USD)

Year2022202320242025CAGRTTM2026E2027EFwd CAGR
Revenue4.0B4.1B4.0B4.0B0.3%4.0B3.9B4.0B0.0%
EPS9.579.270.20-2.91-85.5%-4.80———
Shares50.9M51.3M51.1M49.2M-3.4%48.2M———
Debt3.1B3.1B2.7B2.6B-6.0%3.0B———
Equity3.0B3.6B3.5B3.2B2.1%————
Op CF619.6M683.9M734.6M737.6M6.0%582.1M———
Inv CF-607.9M-563.2M-245.1M-209.3M—————
Fin CF-42.4M-85.5M-550.9M-536.7M—————
Loading 1Y...
PRICE (1Y) · USD+32.8%
27730132635037417 Sep8 Oct28 Oct
SMA 50SMA 200

Price checkIn an uptrendExperimental

Above its 200-day average and 1% below its 52-week high.

SwingsBumpy

Swung more than 57% of stocks we rank over the past year (46% a year).

How this is worked out

StockRank judges the business. The price check reads only the chart: it is the price side of the Momentum score, in words.

The rules: Still falling is a new 52-week low in the last two weeks, at least 25% below the high. Finding a floor is no new low since. Turning up is 20 or more trading days without a new low, at least 10% off it, and back above a rising 50-day average. In an uptrend is above the 200-day average and within 15% of the high.

In 2,112 US drawdowns since 2001, buying while the price was still falling was followed by a further 20% drop 42% of the time. Waiting for a turn like this one cut that to 33%, at about 7% higher prices and with no better returns. Part of that cut is simply not buying: 13% of falls never turned, and waiting kept those out. Among turns that were bought, 38% still fell another 20%, and 33% of turns were followed by a new low within six months. The benefit was largest in crashes such as 2008 and 2020.

What it measures: day-to-day price moves over the past year, as a yearly figure, ranked against every stock we cover. Very calm under 20% a year, Calm 20 to 30%, Average 30 to 40%, Bumpy 40 to 55%, Very bumpy above that.

What we found: across about 13,500 stocks in 34 markets (2002 to 2025), past swings were a good guide to the next year's, and bumpier stocks fell further. How much further changed too much between eras to put a number on it.

Calm is not safe: a calm stock can still slide steadily.

Rules fixed before any data was fetched. Describes the chart, not a recommendation.

Close
$373.98
RSI (14)
86.3
52-Week Range-1.1% from high
Low $146.20High $378.23

SCORE BREAKDOWN

Quality
45
ROIC
-1.3%42.7
ROE
-7.5%37.1
GP/Assets
19.4%44.4
Op. Margin
15.1%75.4
FCF/Assets
5.2%69.8
Piotroski
549.3
Int. Cover
-0.7x34.3
D/E Ratio
1.05x13.2
Current Ratio
1.35x21.6
Value
28
P/E (TTM)
—N/A
EV/EBITDA
22.8x27.7
P/FCF
44.9x28.6
P/B
5.8x20.6
P/S
4.2x44.2
Div Yield
—N/A
Momentum
84
52W High %
99%97.4
RS 6M
120%97.5
SMA 50/200
1.36x95.7
EPS Rev 4W
+0.5%77.6
EPS Rev 12W
+3.4%75.0
EPS Improve
+366%93.9
Q Growth
—N/A

FUNDAMENTALS

Market Cap
$16.6B
P/E (Forward)
27.1x
Gross Margin
34.6%

SECTOR PEERS

Closest peers in Healthcare, ranked by industry match, size, and score similarity. Cross-listings of CRL are excluded.

TickerCompanyMkt CapStockRankSignal
CRLCharles River Laboratories International, Inc.(you)$16.6B62Hold
RVTYRevvity, Inc.$17.7B65Buy
GHGuardant Health, Inc.$22.7B51Hold
IDXXIDEXX Laboratories, Inc.$44.1B65Hold
WATWaters Corporation$44.5B66Buy
BLLNBillionToOne, Inc.$5.1B57Hold
IQVIQVIA Holdings Inc.$46.0B69Buy
MEDPMedpace Holdings, Inc.$18.7B90Strong Buy
LHLabcorp Holdings Inc.$26.7B83Strong Buy
CDNACareDx, Inc.$3.6B62Hold

Peer medians: ROE -30.5% · P/E 27.2x · Gross margin 63.4%

Company Deep Dive

Business segments breakdown, earnings transcript analysis, management credibility scoring, competitive landscape, and scenario modelling.

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Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL): Stock Score Summary

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL) has a MoatMap StockRank of 62/100 based on Quality (45/100), Value (28/100), and Momentum (84/100) factor scores. The current signal is HOLD.

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. is a leading global contract research organization (CRO), providing a comprehensive suite of preclinical and clinical laboratory services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, government, and academic clients. The company's competitive moat stems from its integrated service offerings, specialized scientific expertise, global operational scale, and the high switching costs for its clients in critical drug development phases. It serves as an indispensable partner in early-stage drug discovery and development.

Key Financial Metrics

Price$373.98
Market Cap$16.6B
P/E (Forward)27.10
Price/Book5.80
Return on Equity-7.5%
Return on Invested Capital-1.3%
Debt/Equity1.05x
Gross Margin34.6%
Operating Margin15.1%
Revenue Growth-2.7%
Free Cash Flow$371M

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. operates in the Diagnostics & Research industry, part of the Healthcare sector (United States).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.’s (CRL) StockRank?
MoatMap’s StockRank for Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL) is 62/100, with a Hold signal. It is a composite of Quality (45), Value (28), and Momentum (84), each scored against its sector. The composite is then ranked across MoatMap’s universe of 24,000+ stocks.
Does Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. have an economic moat?
Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL) has a Quality factor score of 45/100. The Quality factor combines ROIC, Piotroski F-Score, and leverage: the financial fingerprints of a durable competitive advantage. A Quality score above 70 typically indicates a company with the characteristics of a moated business.
Is Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. a buy, hold, or sell?
MoatMap’s current signal for Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL) is Hold, based on a StockRank of 62/100. Signals are derived mechanically from the StockRank composite and should be one input among many; combine with your own thesis on management, competitive position, and valuation.
What sector is Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. in?
Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL) operates in the Healthcare sector, specifically the Diagnostics & Research industry (United States).