Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL) Shares Sold by Prudential Financial Inc.

Prudential Financial Inc. cut its position in Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL - Free Report) by 13.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 28,296 shares of the medical research company's stock after selling 4,554 shares during the quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. owned approximately 0.06% of Charles River Laboratories International worth $5,285,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of CRL. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 135,927.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,740,768 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $736,819,000 after acquiring an additional 3,738,018 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International during the fourth quarter worth $42,776,000. Cooke & Bieler LP increased its position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 42.1% during the fourth quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 426,767 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $78,781,000 after purchasing an additional 126,372 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 21.6% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 482,745 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $95,086,000 after purchasing an additional 85,759 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,158,926 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $1,136,938,000 after purchasing an additional 60,497 shares in the last quarter. 98.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Transactions at Charles River Laboratories International

In related news, COO Birgit Girshick acquired 1,514 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $164.63 per share, with a total value of $249,249.82. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief operating officer now directly owns 55,058 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,064,198.54. This trade represents a 2.83 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Joseph W. Laplume sold 4,400 shares of Charles River Laboratories International stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.50, for a total transaction of $715,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 20,013 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,252,112.50. This trade represents a 18.02 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company's stock.

Charles River Laboratories International Stock Performance

Charles River Laboratories International stock traded down $4.03 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $136.95. 1,666,195 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 771,482. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $162.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $180.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.00 billion, a PE ratio of 912.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.54 and a beta of 1.45. Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $132.99 and a fifty-two week high of $258.56.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 19th. The medical research company reported $2.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.50 by $0.16. Charles River Laboratories International had a net margin of 0.52% and a return on equity of 14.69%. The business had revenue of $1 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $983.63 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.46 EPS. The business's revenue was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. will post 9.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on CRL. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered Charles River Laboratories International from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and reduced their target price for the company from $190.00 to $170.00 in a research report on Friday, March 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $175.00 to $165.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $205.00 to $166.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $185.00 price target (down previously from $250.00) on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of Charles River Laboratories International from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $188.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $189.77.

Charles River Laboratories International Profile

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc provides drug discovery, non-clinical development, and safety testing services in the United States, Europe, Canada, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Research Models and Services (RMS), Discovery and Safety Assessment (DSA), and Manufacturing Solutions (Manufacturing).