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CRL Stock Analysis - CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. AI Rating

CRL NYSE Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research CIK: 0001100682
Recently Updated • Analysis: Mar 23, 2026 • SEC Data: 2025-12-27
AI Rating
SELL
78% Confidence

📊 CRL Key Takeaways

Revenue: $4.0B
Net Margin: -3.6%
Free Cash Flow: $518.5M
Current Ratio: 1.29x
Debt/Equity: 0.67x
EPS: $-2.91
AI Rating: SELL with 78% confidence

Investment Thesis

Charles River Laboratories faces significant operational challenges with net losses of $144.3M despite $4B in revenue, indicating severe profitability deterioration. While strong free cash flow of $518.5M provides a financial cushion, the company's negative net margin of -3.6%, minimal operating margin of 0.6%, and interest coverage below 1.0x suggest operational distress that cash flow alone cannot sustain long-term.

CRL Strengths

  • + Strong free cash flow generation of $518.5M (12.9% FCF margin) provides runway for operational improvements
  • + Solid liquidity position with current ratio of 1.29x and $213.8M in cash equivalents
  • + Substantial asset base of $7.1B and reasonable debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67x provides balance sheet flexibility

CRL Risks

  • ! Net loss of $144.3M with negative net margin of -3.6% indicates fundamental unprofitability despite revenue scale
  • ! Interest coverage of 0.7x below 1.0x threshold suggests inability to cover debt service from operating earnings, creating refinancing risk
  • ! Gross margin compression to 7.5% and operating margin collapse to 0.6% indicate severe cost structure issues or pricing pressure unresolved
  • ! Flat revenue growth (-0.9% YoY) combined with losses suggests market saturation or competitive pressures in core business

Key Metrics to Watch

CRL Financial Metrics

Revenue
$4.0B
Net Income
$-144.3M
EPS (Diluted)
$-2.91
Free Cash Flow
$518.5M
Total Assets
$7.1B
Cash Position
$213.8M

💡 AI Analyst Insight

CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. presents a mixed fundamental picture. Review the detailed metrics above to form your own investment thesis.

CRL Profitability Ratios

Gross Margin 7.5%
Operating Margin 0.6%
Net Margin -3.6%
ROE -4.6%
ROA -2.0%
FCF Margin 12.9%

CRL vs Healthcare Sector

How CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. compares to Healthcare sector averages

Net Margin
CRL -3.6%
vs
Sector Avg 12.0%
CRL Sector
ROE
CRL -4.6%
vs
Sector Avg 15.0%
CRL Sector
Current Ratio
CRL 1.3x
vs
Sector Avg 2.0x
CRL Sector
Debt/Equity
CRL 0.7x
vs
Sector Avg 0.6x
CRL Sector

Sector benchmarks are approximate industry averages. Actual sector performance may vary.

CRL Balance Sheet & Liquidity

Current Ratio
1.29x
Quick Ratio
1.02x
Debt/Equity
0.67x
Debt/Assets
55.0%
Interest Coverage
0.72x
Long-term Debt
$2.1B

CRL 5-Year Financial Trend

CRL 5-year financial data: Year 2021: Revenue $3.5B, Net Income $252.0M, EPS $5.07. Year 2022: Revenue $4.0B, Net Income $364.3M, EPS $7.20. Year 2023: Revenue $4.1B, Net Income $391.0M, EPS $7.60. Year 2024: Revenue $4.1B, Net Income $486.2M, EPS $9.48. Year 2025: Revenue $4.1B, Net Income $474.6M, EPS $9.22.
Revenue
Net Income
EPS (right axis)

5-Year Trend Summary: CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.'s revenue has grown significantly by 17% over the 5-year period, indicating strong business expansion. The most recent EPS of $9.22 reflects profitable operations.

CRL Growth Metrics (YoY)

Revenue Growth
N/A
Year-over-year
Net Income Growth
N/A
Year-over-year
EPS Growth
N/A
Earnings per share
FCF Margin
12.9%
Free cash flow / Revenue

CRL Quarterly Performance

Quarterly financial performance data for CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. including revenue, net income, and earnings per share.
Quarter Revenue Net Income EPS
Q3 2025 $1.0B $54.4M $1.10
Q2 2025 $1.0B $52.3M $1.06
Q1 2025 $984.2M $25.5M $0.50
Q3 2024 $1.0B $69.7M $1.33
Q2 2024 $1.0B $94.1M $1.74
Q1 2024 $1.0B $73.0M $1.30
Q3 2023 $989.2M $87.4M $1.69
Q2 2023 $973.1M $97.0M $1.89

Data sourced from SEC EDGAR 10-Q quarterly filings. Figures may represent quarterly or cumulative values.

CRL Capital Allocation

Operating Cash Flow
$737.6M
Cash generated from operations
Stock Buybacks
$360.7M
Shares repurchased (TTM)
Capital Expenditures
$219.2M
Investment in assets
Dividends
None
No dividend program

CRL SEC Filings

Access official SEC EDGAR filings for CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. (CIK: 0001100682)

📋 Recent SEC Filings

Date Form Document Action
Mar 5, 2026 4 xslF345X05/form4.xml View →
Mar 4, 2026 4 xslF345X05/form4.xml View →
Mar 4, 2026 4 xslF345X05/form4.xml View →
Feb 25, 2026 8-K crl-20260225.htm View →
Feb 18, 2026 8-K dp241741_8k.htm View →

Frequently Asked Questions about CRL

What is the AI rating for CRL?

CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. (CRL) has an AI rating of SELL with 78% confidence, based on fundamental analysis of SEC EDGAR filings.

What are CRL's key strengths?

Strong free cash flow generation of $518.5M (12.9% FCF margin) provides runway for operational improvements. Solid liquidity position with current ratio of 1.29x and $213.8M in cash equivalents.

What are the risks of investing in CRL?

Net loss of $144.3M with negative net margin of -3.6% indicates fundamental unprofitability despite revenue scale. Interest coverage of 0.7x below 1.0x threshold suggests inability to cover debt service from operating earnings, creating refinancing risk.

What is CRL's revenue and growth?

CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. reported revenue of $4.0B.

Does CRL pay dividends?

CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. does not currently pay dividends.

Where can I find CRL SEC filings?

Official SEC filings for CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. (CIK: 0001100682) including 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K reports are available on SEC EDGAR.

What is CRL's EPS?

CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. has a diluted EPS of $-2.91.

How is the AI analysis conducted?

Our AI (Claude) analyzes publicly available SEC EDGAR filings including 10-K annual reports and 10-Q quarterly reports to evaluate financial health, profitability ratios, balance sheet strength, and growth metrics.

Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by Claude AI based on publicly available SEC EDGAR filings. It does not include stock price data and should not be considered financial advice. All fundamental data is sourced from SEC public domain filings. Always conduct your own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Data Source: SEC EDGAR | Analysis Date: Mar 23, 2026 | Data as of: 2025-12-27 | Powered by Claude AI