Not a good buy right now for an impatient buyer: momentum is still bearish (MACD negative and worsening) and price is below key pivot/resistance.
While RSI is oversold (near-term bounce potential), options flow is heavily put-skewed by volume, suggesting traders are still positioning defensively.
The next major catalyst is earnings (2026-02-18 pre-market); with no recent positive news and insiders selling, the risk/reward for buying immediately is not compelling.
Technical Analysis
Trend/Momentum: MACD histogram is -3.181 and negatively expanding → bearish momentum still strengthening.
RSI: RSI(6) at 28.904 → oversold conditions, which can fuel short-term mean reversion bounces, but does not confirm a trend reversal by itself.
Levels: Price 201.94 is below Pivot 214.264 and below S1 203.484 (lost a key support). Next support S2 ~196.824; overhead resistance levels at ~214.264, then 225.044.
Moving Averages: Converging MAs → consolidation/transition, but current momentum signals still favor sellers until price reclaims pivot area.
Options Data
Bullish
Open Interest Put-Call Ratio
Bearish
Option Volume Put-Call Ratio
Positioning (Open Interest): Put/Call OI ratio 0.65 → more call OI than put OI (mildly bullish/less hedged structurally).
Flow (Volume): Put/Call volume ratio 19.8 with 693 puts vs 35 calls → very bearish/defensive near-term sentiment.
Activity/Vol: Today’s options volume is ~135.82% of 30D average; IV(30d) 44.07 vs HV 36.47 → options are pricing elevated forward uncertainty.
Takeaway: Despite call-heavy open interest, the current tape is dominated by put buying, which is a near-term negative read.
Technical Summary
Sell
7
Buy
6
Positive Catalysts
increases odds of a short-term bounce.
Neutral/Negative Catalysts
Bearish momentum intact: MACD is negative and deteriorating; price is below key pivot and recently slipped under the S1 support zone.
Options sentiment (volume) is strongly bearish: heavy put dominance suggests traders are hedging/speculating to the downside now.
Insider activity: insiders are selling, with selling amount up ~125.30% over the last month.
Fundamentals recently softened (latest quarter YoY declines in revenue, EPS, net income, and gross margin).
No supportive near-term news flow reported in the last week to shift narrative before earnings.
Growth read-through: results show decelerating profitability and margin pressure, which weakens the case for an immediate buy before the next earnings reset.
Growth
Profitability
Efficiency
Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends
Recent trend: broadly positive—multiple firms raised price targets (TD Cowen to 251, Citi to 265, Baird to 224, Barclays to 215) and at least one notable upgrade (BofA to Buy with PT 225; Argus upgraded to Buy).
Pros (Wall St. view): expectations for improving 2026 setup in the space; belief that end-market conditions may be stabilizing; several Buy/Outperform/Overweight stances.
Cons (Wall St. view): some key neutrals remain (e.g., Mizuho Neutral; JPMorgan Neutral; Morgan Stanley Equal Weight), implying not all see a clean recovery yet.
Influential/political trading: no recent congress trading data available.
Wall Street analysts forecast CRL stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for CRL is 202.1 USD with a low forecast of 170 USD and a high forecast of 225 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
12 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast CRL stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for CRL is 202.1 USD with a low forecast of 170 USD and a high forecast of 225 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
8 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 183.700
Low
170
Averages
202.1
High
225
Current: 183.700
Low
170
Averages
202.1
High
225
TD Cowen
Charles Rhyee
Buy
maintain
$197 -> $251
AI Analysis
2026-01-22
Reason
TD Cowen
Charles Rhyee
Price Target
$197 -> $251
AI Analysis
2026-01-22
maintain
Buy
Reason
TD Cowen analyst Charles Rhyee raised the firm's price target on Charles River to $251 from $197 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. The firm adjusted targets in the contract research organization space as part of a Q4 preview. TD generally expects solid Q4 prints and sees potential for 2026 outlooks to "represent a clearing event for operating conditions."
Citi
Patrick Donnelly
Buy
maintain
$200 -> $265
2026-01-16
Reason
Citi
Patrick Donnelly
Price Target
$200 -> $265
2026-01-16
maintain
Buy
Reason
Citi analyst Patrick Donnelly raised the firm's price target on Charles River to $265 from $200 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. The firm adjusted targets in the life science tools and diagnostics group after meeting with companies. Commentary around pharma was positive, the analyst tells investors in a research note.
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