Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL) Hit a 52 Week High, Can the Run Continue?

Company Performance - Charles River Laboratories (CRL) has seen its stock price increase by 11.3% over the past month, reaching a new 52-week high of $208.69 [1] - Year-to-date, CRL's stock has gained 4.4%, compared to a 5.4% gain for the Zacks Medical sector and a 10% return for the Zacks Medical Services industry [1] Earnings and Revenue Expectations - CRL has a strong track record of positive earnings surprises, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters, with the latest EPS reported at $2.43 against a consensus estimate of $2.32 [2] - For the current fiscal year, CRL is expected to post earnings of $10.72 per share on revenues of $4.01 billion, with a year-over-year earnings growth of 4.92% [3] - For the next fiscal year, earnings are projected to be $11.54 per share on revenues of $4.07 billion, reflecting a year-over-year change of 1.53% [3] Valuation Metrics - CRL currently trades at 19.4 times the current fiscal year EPS estimates, which is a premium compared to the peer industry average of 16.1 times [7] - On a trailing cash flow basis, CRL trades at 9.6 times, while its peer group's average is 11.1 times [7] - The stock has a PEG ratio of 6.23, indicating it is not in the top echelon from a value perspective [7] Zacks Rank and Style Scores - CRL holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) due to favorable earnings estimate revisions from analysts [8] - The stock has a Value Score of B, a Growth Score of B, and a Momentum Score of D, resulting in a combined VGM Score of B [6] Industry Comparison - In comparison to industry peers, BrightSpring Health Services, Inc. (BTSG) also has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) and shows strong earnings performance, beating consensus estimates by 11.11% [10][11] - BTSG is expected to post earnings of $1.40 per share on revenues of $12.71 billion for the current fiscal year, with shares gaining 13.7% over the past month [11]