Morgan Stanley Raises CRL Price Target to $340

Morgan Stanley has reaffirmed its Overweight rating on Charles River Laboratories with a price target increase to $340, a 14.15% upside from the current price.

By EarningsIQ Research Desk · Published Oct 16, 2026, 2:28 PM EDT

Reviewed by automated data checks against the source data. How we make and check alerts

Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. ($CRL) to $340 from $300 on October 13, 2026, and rates the stock "Overweight".

Since the rating, $CRL is up 0.4% to date (from the $299.02 close on Oct 13, 2026).

CRL Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.

$300.15 +48.28% year to date

Daily close · Oct 16, 2026

Key Points

On October 13, 2026, Morgan Stanley reiterated its Overweight rating on Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. with a new price target of $340, up from $300.
Morgan Stanley's $340 price target implies 14.15% upside from Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.'s ($CRL) current $297.86 share price.
The stock is currently trading around $297.86, which is about 12.4% below Morgan Stanley's updated target.
Other analysts have also maintained positive ratings, with targets ranging from $320 to $340, reflecting overall confidence in the company's future.

Get $CRL trade alerts by text

We text you when insiders, Congress or big funds trade $CRL. Free.

Not investment advice. EarningsIQ is not a registered investment adviser, and this automated Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. alert may contain errors. Disclosures

Morgan Stanley has reiterated its Overweight rating on Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL) on October 13, 2026, raising its price target from $300 to $340. This adjustment reflects increased confidence in the company's potential. The stock recently traded around $297.86 as of October 16, 2026, placing it approximately 12.4% below the new target set by Morgan Stanley.

Analyst rating track record

Morgan Stanley vs. the S&P 500

YTD return +0.93% hypothetical

All-time return +0.93% S&P 500 +0.64%

vs. S&P 500 +0.29% ahead of the index

Hypothetical returns from Morgan Stanley's disclosed trades, not real profit or advice. How we model this.

Other Institutional Activity in Charles River Laboratories

FMR, LLC holds 4,239,752 shares of Charles River Laboratories, with a total value of about $1.27 billion after increasing its stake by 783,526 shares, a 22.7% change. Invesco Ltd. also raised its position, adding 587,560 shares for a total of 2,984,785 shares valued at approximately $895.9 million. Meanwhile, Blackrock Inc. trimmed its holdings slightly, reducing its stake by 60,589 shares, now holding 3,798,560 shares worth about $1.14 billion. Vanguard Capital Management LLC also cut back, decreasing its holdings by 52,835 shares, ending with 3,149,288 shares valued at around $945.3 million.

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. Stock Up 7.1%

The stock price of Charles River Laboratories is currently around $297.86, which is below the updated target of $340 set by Morgan Stanley. This price point suggests a favorable entry for potential investors, especially considering the stock's recent performance and analyst outlooks. The company has faced challenges with a year-over-year revenue decline of 2.7%, yet analysts remain optimistic about its future growth potential.

12-month forecast

$CRL price target

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. daily closes and this analyst's $340 target. Not advice.

Recent Earnings

Charles River Laboratories reported a trailing twelve-month revenue of approximately $3.99 billion. The company is set to announce its next earnings on November 4, 2026. Its net margin stands at -6.0%, and it has a return on equity of -7.5%, indicating current financial challenges but also potential for recovery.

Earnings drift grade

Outlook vs expectations on the last report — not price action.

C+ 66/100

Reported May 7, 2026

Forward outlook
2 analysts raised price targets.
EPS & revenue
EPS beat estimates by 5.0%. Revenue beat estimates by 0.9%.
Profit surprise
EBITDA missed by 6 percent. Operating income missed by 22 percent.
Pre-earnings setup
Expectations were about average.
Analyst signal
1 upgrade, 2 target raises.
Earnings quality
Gross margin down 4.2 points. Operating margin up 4.5 points. Positive free cash flow.

Earnings Call Summary

Charles River delivered first quarter earnings of $2.06 per share, beating expectations of $1.96, with revenue of about $996 million slightly above consensus. The company faced planned headwinds from animal supply costs and timing issues, but management expressed confidence that these would ease in coming quarters. New CEO Birgit Girshick outlined a strategy called Pathway to Purpose focused on modernizing operations, improving client relationships and driving cost savings of over $100 million this year.

Guidance Charles River reaffirmed full year earnings growth guidance of 5 to 10 percent, expecting around $10.80 to $11.30 in earnings per share. They project significant operating margin expansion of 120 to 150 basis points in 2026, driven mainly by cost savings and completed acquisitions.

Fine but not compelling. Acceptable results that likely do not create a meaningful forward reset.

Insider Buying and Selling at Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.

Recent insider transactions include Director Nancy C. Andrews selling 573 shares at an average price of $285.24 on August 18, 2026, totaling about $163,443. Officer Shannon M. Parisotto sold 2,039 shares at $294.12 on August 19, 2026, valued at approximately $599,711. Director James C. Foster sold 33,561 shares for about $10.07 million at an average price of $300.00 on August 25, 2026. Parisotto also sold 981 shares at $308.44 on October 5, 2026, for around $302,580.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

On October 13, 2026, Morgan Stanley maintained its Overweight rating on Charles River Laboratories with a price target of $340. This follows other analysts such as Deutsche Bank and TD Cowen, who maintained Buy ratings with targets of $320 and $325, respectively, on September 25, 2026. The consensus target across analysts suggests strong confidence in the company's potential growth, with a mean price target of $340.

About Charles River Laboratories

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. offers essential services for drug discovery, non-clinical development, and safety testing. Headquartered in Wilmington, MA, the company supports clients in the healthcare sector across multiple regions, including the U.S., Europe, and Asia. This analyst call comes amid a challenging financial period for the company, but the raised target reflects optimism about its strategic direction and future performance.

Bottom Line

Investors should keep an eye on the upcoming earnings report scheduled for November 4, 2026. The recent analyst ratings and price targets suggest a strong belief in the company's growth potential despite current financial hurdles. Morgan Stanley's reiteration of its Overweight rating and target increase is a notable development in the current market landscape.