Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. research snapshot
CRL AI stock analysis currently reads Charles River Laboratories as a specialized life sciences services company with strong customer relevance in drug discovery, preclinical safety testing, research models, and biologics quality support. The business has real client switching costs and scientific know-how, but FY2025 GAAP earnings were hit by impairments, DSA demand stayed soft, and the stock has already rebounded sharply into July 2026. The CRL AI stock forecast is scenario-based, not a precise price prediction, and the current setup needs evidence that bookings, revenue, margins, and free cash flow can keep recovering.
Current price
$228.68
Market cap
$11.02 billion verified market cap
AI score
61 / 100
Rating
High-quality life sciences services franchise, but valuation now expects a demand recovery
Trend status
Strong short-term rebound above the 50-day and 200-day averages, with RSI readings ranging from positive to overbought by provider
Data cutoff (updated weekly)
July 8, 2026
Informational use only. This page is not investment advice.
| Dimension | Conclusion | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Business quality | CRL sells essential research models, discovery, safety assessment, microbial testing, biologics testing, and related services to pharma, biotech, government, and academic customers. | High |
| Moat | Scientific expertise, regulated facilities, validated study processes, client relationships, global scale, and hard-to-replicate model supply create meaningful switching costs. | Medium-high |
| Management | CEO Birgit Girshick is leading the 2026 recovery and portfolio reshaping phase, while recent impairments and divestitures keep capital allocation under review. | Medium |
| Financial trend | FY2025 revenue fell 0.9% to $4.015 billion and GAAP common net loss was $144.3 million, while Q1 2026 revenue rose 1.2% to $995.8 million with a GAAP loss per share of $0.30. | High |
| Valuation | At $228.68, CRL trades near 20.9x company 2026 non-GAAP EPS midpoint, 3.75x book value, and 28.2x TTM free cash flow per share. | Medium-high |
| Technical trend | The stock is above the 50-day and 200-day moving averages after a sharp rally, with resistance near the July 2026 high and risk if price loses the breakout area. | Medium |
| Risk level | Key risks are DSA demand weakness, biotech funding pressure, study cancellations, animal supply and regulatory risk, integration and impairment risk, divestiture execution, leverage, and high expectations after the rally. | Medium-high |
| AI confidence | Descriptive confidence is high because the reported data is well sourced. Return confidence is lower because bookings, customer budgets, interest rates, and sentiment drive the next move. | High data confidence |
| Investment certainty | CRL looks like a durable franchise, but the current price leaves less room for disappointment unless 2026 revenue and margin recovery improves from here. | Medium |
CRL AI stock forecast
The CRL AI stock forecast uses scenario math around the $228.68 price reference, management 2026 non-GAAP EPS midpoint near $10.95, and a three-year earnings multiple framework. The audited model produced a bearish area near $116.30, a base area near $221.70, and a bullish area near $312.00 before any dividends.
$295 to $320
More likely if DSA bookings convert to revenue, pharma and biotech funding improves, restructuring savings lift margins, Manufacturing demand stabilizes, adjusted EPS compounds near high single digits, and investors keep valuing CRL above 20x earnings.
$210 to $230
More likely if reported revenue is flat to slightly higher, organic growth turns positive later in 2026, impairments fade from investor focus, and the market values CRL near a high-teens earnings multiple.
$105 to $125
More likely if DSA demand weakens again, cancellations rise, divestitures reduce scale, free cash flow falls, leverage concerns return, or the stock re-rates toward a low-teens earnings multiple.
CRL AI technical analysis
CRL AI technical analysis is constructive but extended as of the July 8, 2026 cutoff. StockAnalysis showed a $228.68 close on July 7, 2026, with the 50-day and 200-day moving averages near $180 and RSI at 78.88, while Investing.com showed daily indicators in a strong buy posture with RSI near 60.9. Provider differences make the level map more useful than a single signal.
| Level | Value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Current price | $228.68 | StockAnalysis reported this July 7, 2026 close, used as the quote reference for market-cap and valuation math. |
| Immediate support | $223 to $229 | This area covers the July 6 intraday low near $223.85 and the July 7 close, so losing it would show weak follow-through after the rebound. |
| Deeper support | $214 to $216 | Recent trading references around late June 2026 placed CRL near the mid-$210s before the July push, making this a practical pullback zone to monitor. |
| Major trend support | About $180 | StockAnalysis listed both the 50-day and 200-day moving averages near $180, far below the current price after the rally. |
| Near resistance | $231 to $233 | CRL closed at $231.43 on July 6, 2026 and reached a same-day high near $232.32 in company IR historical price data. |
| Moving averages | 50-day about $180.40 and 200-day about $180.44 | The price is well above both references, which supports the trend but also increases pullback risk if buyers fade. |
| Momentum | RSI range about 61 to 79 | Investing.com showed RSI near 60.9, while StockAnalysis showed 78.88, so momentum is positive but may be stretched depending on data provider timing. |
| Volume | 20-day average volume about 856,599 shares | StockAnalysis reported this average volume reference, useful for judging whether breakouts above the July high have enough participation. |
| Volatility | High relative to the market with beta near 1.40 | StockAnalysis listed beta near 1.40, so position sizing should allow for larger swings than a broad-market index. |
| Invalidation | Close below $214 | A close below the recent breakout base would weaken the rebound setup and shift focus back to the 50-day and 200-day averages. |
CRL AI trading strategy
The CRL AI trading strategy below is a rules-based research framework, not personal advice. It combines booking recovery checks, margin evidence, leverage monitoring, valuation discipline, and technical invalidation levels.
Watch for CRL to hold above the $231 to $233 resistance area while Q2 results confirm DSA bookings, stable RMS demand, Manufacturing margin support, and free cash flow conversion.
A failed breakout back below $223 or a close below $214 should reduce setup confidence because it would show the July rally could not hold.
If CRL pulls back toward $214 to $223 without a deterioration in bookings, compare the valuation reset with non-GAAP EPS guidance, free cash flow per share, debt, and customer demand commentary.
Do not treat a pullback as benign if organic revenue misses guidance, DSA cancellations rise, or free cash flow weakens faster than revenue.
Track DSA net bookings, RMS large model trends, Manufacturing divestiture impact, non-GAAP operating margin, free cash flow, total debt, repurchases, and the next earnings date around August 5, 2026.
Position sizing should reflect that CRL is a leveraged life sciences services business exposed to biotech funding, pharma budget cycles, and regulatory risk.
Investment research summary
Customers pay CRL because drug discovery and preclinical development are expensive, regulated, and time-sensitive. CRL helps clients source models, run studies, assess safety, and support quality testing so therapies can move through development more efficiently.
The moat is strongest in scientific expertise, global facilities, regulated process history, validated study data, client trust, and scale. It is weaker than a patent monopoly because customers can insource some work or use rival contract research organizations.
The thesis fails if biotech funding stays weak, DSA bookings do not convert, large model supply becomes constrained or controversial, impairments point to deeper business issues, or customers reduce outsourced research spending.
Management has built CRL into a broad life sciences services platform and continues to pursue efficiency, acquisitions, divestitures, and buybacks. CEO Birgit Girshick now has to prove that portfolio reshaping improves returns after recent impairment charges.
CRL sits inside a long-term trend toward outsourced drug discovery, biologics quality testing, and more complex therapeutic development. The offset is that biotech funding and pharma pipeline priorities can pause demand for several quarters.
At about 21x management 2026 non-GAAP EPS midpoint and 28x TTM free cash flow per share, CRL is not priced as distressed. Margin of safety depends on DSA recovery, fewer one-time charges, stable free cash flow, and disciplined capital allocation.
Source-backed data
Every metric below includes a source and last verification date.
| Metric | Value | Source | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRL quote reference | $228.68 close on July 7, 2026 | StockAnalysis CRL market cap page | July 8, 2026 |
| Market capitalization verification | $11.02 billion calculated from $228.68 x 48.17 million shares | Pineify financial_rigor.py and StockAnalysis share data | July 8, 2026 |
| Shares outstanding | 48.17 million shares outstanding | CRL Q1 2026 balance sheet and StockAnalysis statistics | July 8, 2026 |
| FY2025 revenue and GAAP common net loss | $4.015 billion revenue and $144.3 million GAAP net loss available to common shareholders | CRL FY2025 earnings release and StockAnalysis financials | July 8, 2026 |
| FY2025 segment revenue | RMS $846.1 million, DSA $2.40 billion, Manufacturing $766.4 million | CRL FY2025 earnings release | July 8, 2026 |
| Q1 2026 revenue and EPS | $995.8 million revenue, GAAP EPS loss of $0.30, and non-GAAP EPS of $2.06 | CRL Q1 2026 earnings release | July 8, 2026 |
| Cash and debt | $191.83 million cash and equivalents and about $3.06 billion total debt at March 28, 2026 | CRL Q1 2026 balance sheet and StockAnalysis balance sheet | July 8, 2026 |
| Free cash flow | $391.29 million TTM free cash flow and $8.12 free cash flow per share | StockAnalysis CRL cash flow statement | July 8, 2026 |
| Valuation ratios | 20.88x non-GAAP EPS midpoint, 3.75x book value, 28.16x free cash flow, and 0.00% dividend yield | Pineify financial_rigor.py and StockAnalysis statistics | July 8, 2026 |
| Company business description | Provider of products and services that help pharmaceutical, biotechnology, government, and academic clients accelerate research and drug development | CRL Investor Relations FY2025 release | July 8, 2026 |
| Technical trend data | Price above 50-day and 200-day moving averages near $180, RSI readings positive to overbought, and near resistance around $231 to $233 | StockAnalysis, Investing.com, and CRL historical price lookup | July 8, 2026 |
This CRL AI stock analysis is for informational and educational use only. It is not investment advice, a recommendation, or a guarantee of future returns. Forecast ranges are scenario estimates based on available public data as of July 8, 2026, and they can be wrong if fundamentals, market prices, biotech funding, bookings, regulatory conditions, debt costs, or investor sentiment change.
