CRL
Charles River Laboratories International Inc. Healthcare - Life Sciences Investor Relations →
Charles River Laboratories International Inc. (CRL) closed at $153.60 as of 2026-03-20, trading 22.5% below its 200-week moving average of $198.09. This places CRL in the extreme value zone. The stock is currently moving closer to the line, down from -21.7% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 35, indicating neutral momentum.
Trading volume is running at 1.0x of its 14-week average, which is in the normal range. The balance between buying and selling volume (1.19 ratio) is neutral — neither side is clearly dominating.
Over the past 1295 weeks of data, CRL has crossed below its 200-week moving average 13 times. On average, these episodes lasted 32 weeks. Historically, investors who bought CRL at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +11.5%.
With a market cap of $7.6 billion, CRL is a mid-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 7.6%, which is healthy. Return on equity stands at -4.2%. The stock trades at 2.4x book value.
Over the past 24.9 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in CRL would have grown to $482, compared to $809 for the S&P 500. CRL has returned 6.5% annualized vs 8.8% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
Free cash flow has been growing at a 20.7% compound annual rate, with 4 consecutive years of positive cash generation. A business generating more cash every year while trading below its 200-week moving average is exactly the kind of disconnect value investors look for.
Business Health
Annual financials — how the underlying business has performed over the past several years.
Cash Flow Free cash flow & net income ($M)
Revenue Annual revenue ($M) — business growth proxy
Total Debt Balance sheet debt ($M)
ROIC Return on invested capital (%)
FCF Yield Free cash flow / market cap (%) — Yartseva signal
Gross Margin Pricing power & competitive moat (%)
Shares Outstanding Buybacks vs dilution (millions)
Growth of $100: CRL vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After CRL Crosses Below the Line?
Across 12 historical episodes, buying CRL when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +10.5% after 12 months (median +5.0%), compared to +18.6% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 58% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +23.5% vs +39.8% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment CRL crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
CRL has crossed below its 200-week MA 13 times with an average 1-year return of +11.5% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2002 | Apr 2002 | 1 | 2.1% | -2.9% | +452.5% |
| Jan 2003 | May 2003 | 19 | 18.7% | +21.2% | +402.0% |
| May 2006 | Aug 2006 | 16 | 16.4% | +27.9% | +289.6% |
| Oct 2008 | Mar 2012 | 178 | 57.0% | -12.2% | +245.8% |
| Mar 2012 | Jul 2012 | 17 | 6.8% | +26.7% | +334.1% |
| Mar 2020 | Mar 2020 | 1 | 6.2% | +171.0% | +45.2% |
| Jun 2022 | Jul 2022 | 6 | 8.7% | -9.9% | -30.0% |
| Aug 2022 | Nov 2022 | 14 | 18.5% | -7.4% | -31.2% |
| Nov 2022 | Jan 2023 | 7 | 10.7% | -9.4% | -31.0% |
| Feb 2023 | Feb 2024 | 53 | 31.7% | +12.7% | -30.1% |
| Mar 2024 | Mar 2024 | 1 | 0.1% | -34.0% | -40.7% |
| Apr 2024 | Jan 2026 | 92 | 59.1% | -45.9% | -39.3% |
| Feb 2026 | Ongoing | 7+ | 22.5% | Ongoing | -18.8% |
| Average | 32 | — | +11.5% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CRL below its 200-week moving average?
Yes. As of 2026-03-20, Charles River Laboratories International Inc. (CRL) is trading 22.5% below its 200-week moving average of $198.09. The current price is $153.60.
What is CRL's 200-week moving average price?
Charles River Laboratories International Inc.'s 200-week moving average is $198.09 as of 2026-03-20. This is the average weekly closing price over roughly the last 4 years, and it acts as a long-term trend line. When a stock drops below this level, it can signal that the price has fallen far enough from the long-term trend to attract value-oriented investors.
What happens when CRL drops below its 200-week moving average?
CRL has crossed below its 200-week moving average 13 times in our data. On average, buying at that moment produced a one-year return of +11.5%. These dips have historically been decent entry points. These episodes lasted 32 weeks on average.
Is CRL a good value right now?
Here's what our data says about CRL as of 2026-03-20: The stock is below its 200-week moving average, which is the starting point for our analysis. The 14-week RSI is 35. Free cash flow yield is 7.6%. Return on equity is -4.2%. Price-to-book is 2.4x. This is not a buy or sell recommendation — always do your own research.
How does CRL compare to the S&P 500?
Over the past 24.9 years, $100 invested in CRL would have grown to $482, compared to $809 for the S&P 500. That's 6.5% annualized vs 8.8% for the index. CRL has underperformed the broader market over this period.
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of week of 2026-03-20