Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL) Shares Sold by Assenagon Asset Management S.A.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lessened its position in Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL) by 36.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 31,305 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 17,725 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned about 0.06% of Charles River Laboratories International worth $5,779,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in Charles River Laboratories International by 4.6% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 6,556 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $1,354,000 after purchasing an additional 291 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in Charles River Laboratories International by 20.0% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 561,075 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $115,912,000 after buying an additional 93,682 shares during the period. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV grew its stake in Charles River Laboratories International by 74.5% during the second quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 4,031 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $833,000 after buying an additional 1,721 shares during the period. Amalgamated Bank boosted its stake in shares of Charles River Laboratories International by 21.7% in the second quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 13,036 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $2,693,000 after purchasing an additional 2,323 shares during the period. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in shares of Charles River Laboratories International in the second quarter valued at $124,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.91% of the company’s stock.

Charles River Laboratories International Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE:CRL opened at $163.77 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.62 and a beta of 1.38. Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $160.85 and a 1-year high of $275.00. The company’s fifty day moving average is $189.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $198.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.48.

Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The medical research company reported $2.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.43 by $0.16. Charles River Laboratories International had a net margin of 10.44% and a return on equity of 14.29%. The company had revenue of $1.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $975.99 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.72 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. will post 10.18 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Richard F. Wallman sold 6,621 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $216.12, for a total value of $1,430,930.52. Following the sale, the director now owns 12,386 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,676,862.32. This trade represents a 34.83 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Charles River Laboratories International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Redburn Atlantic assumed coverage on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They issued a “sell” rating and a $151.00 target price for the company. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Charles River Laboratories International in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Evercore ISI upped their price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $190.00 to $225.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Charles River Laboratories International from $220.00 to $210.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Charles River Laboratories International has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $209.00.

About Charles River Laboratories International

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).