Crispr Therapeutics shares tumble after significant earnings miss
Investing.com - Citi upgraded Charles River Labs (NYSE:CRL) from Neutral to Buy on Wednesday, while raising its price target to $200.00 from $150.00. The company, with a market capitalization of $7.8 billion, currently trades at $158.39, significantly below its 52-week high of $254.15. According to InvestingPro analysis, the stock appears undervalued based on its Fair Value assessment.
The research firm cited expectations for strong results in the company’s Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD) and Safety Assessment (DSA) segment, which posted its first book-to-bill ratio above 1x in seven quarters during the previous reporting period.
Citi anticipates Charles River Labs will beat expectations in its upcoming earnings report and potentially raise guidance, despite likely conservatism embedded in projections for the second half of the year.
The upgrade also reflects growing investor optimism regarding activist involvement in the company, with all business segments currently being evaluated for strategic fit and shareholder value creation.
Citi noted that investor concerns have subsided regarding potential impacts from the FDA’s shift away from animal models for monoclonal antibodies (mABs), which had previously weighed on the stock.
In other recent news, Charles River Laboratories reported its first-quarter 2025 earnings, surpassing analyst expectations with an EPS of $2.34 compared to the forecasted $2.09. The company also exceeded revenue expectations, reporting $984.2 million against an anticipated $941.47 million. Charles River raised its full-year guidance, projecting an EPS of $9.30 to $9.80. Additionally, the company announced the renewal of its partnership with CHDI Foundation to advance Huntington’s disease research, extending their collaboration to include a broader range of services. Analyst firms have shown increased confidence in Charles River, with Evercore ISI upgrading the stock rating to Outperform and raising the price target to $170. Deutsche Bank (ETR:DBKGn) also increased its price target to $180, citing the company’s consistent performance and positive forward guidance revisions. Redburn-Atlantic upgraded the stock to Buy, noting improving demand in Charles River’s Discovery and Safety Assessment business. These developments indicate a positive trajectory for Charles River Laboratories in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical services industry.
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