Charles River Laboratories (CRL) Tops Q4 Earnings and Revenue Estimates

Core Viewpoint - Charles River Laboratories (CRL) reported quarterly earnings of $2.66 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.50 per share, and showing an increase from $2.46 per share a year ago [1][2]. Financial Performance - The earnings surprise for the quarter was 6.40%, with the company having surpassed consensus EPS estimates in all four of the last quarters [2]. - Revenues for the quarter reached $1 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.79%, compared to $1.01 billion in the same quarter last year [3]. - The company has also exceeded consensus revenue estimates in each of the last four quarters [3]. Stock Performance and Outlook - Charles River shares have declined approximately 17.7% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 has gained 4% [4]. - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $2.40, with expected revenues of $957.37 million, and for the current fiscal year, the estimate is $9.93 on $3.89 billion in revenues [8]. Industry Context - The Medical Services industry, to which Charles River belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 47% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating potential challenges ahead [9]. - The performance of the stock may be influenced by the overall outlook for the industry, as research indicates that the top 50% of Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by more than 2 to 1 [9].