Charles River Laboratories Announces First-Quarter 2026 Results

About this update from Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.

– Reports First-Quarter Revenue of $995.8 Million, GAAP Loss per Share of $(0.30), and Non-GAAP Earnings per Share of $2.06 – – Reaffirms 2026 Guidance for Organic Revenue and Non-GAAP Earnings per Share – – Repurchased $200 Million of Common Stock in First Quarter of 2026 – – Completed the Divestiture of the CDMO and Cell Solutions Businesses – WILMINGTON, Mass., May 07, 2026 --( BUSINESS WIRE )--Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL) today reported its results for the first quarter of 2026. For the quarter, revenue was $995.8 million, an increase of 1.2% from $984.2 million in the first quarter of 2025. The impact of foreign currency translation increased reported revenue by 2.8%, while a divestiture reduced reported revenue by 0.1%. Excluding the effect of these items, revenue declined 1.5% on an organic basis. By segment, organic revenue growth in the Manufacturing Solutions (Manufacturing) segment was more than offset by organic revenue declines in the Research Models and Services (RMS) and Discovery and Safety Assessment (DSA) segments. In the first quarter of 2026, the GAAP operating margin was 12.0%, compared to 7.6% in the first quarter of 2025. The increase in the GAAP operating margin was primarily driven by lower accelerated amortization expense related to certain CDMO client relationships. The GAAP net loss available to common shareholders for the first quarter of 2026 was $(14.8) million, or $(0.30) per diluted share, compared to GAAP net income of $25.5 million, or $0.50 per diluted share for the same period in 2025. The decrease was principally due to a loss on assets held for sale related to the CDMO and Cell Solutions divestiture totaling $118.0 million, or $1.53 per share. On a non-GAAP basis, the first-quarter operating margin decreased to 16.3% from 19.1% in the first quarter of 2025, primarily as a result of higher study-related direct costs in the DSA segment, unfavorable revenue mix in the RMS segment, and higher stock-based compensation expense related largely to executive transition. Non-GAAP net income was $101.7 million for the first quarter of 2026, a decrease of 14.6% from $119.1 million for the same period in 2025. First-quarter diluted earnings per share on a non-GAAP basis were $2.06, a decrease of 12.0% from $2.34 per share in the first quarter of 2025. The non-GAAP net income and earnings per share decreases were driven primarily by the lower operating margin. Birgit Girshick, Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are pleased to deliver on our first-quarter financial targets, and remain well positioned to generate improving results over the course of the year. Our confidence is supported by a DSA demand environment that is tracking to our expectations, resulting in solid bookings in the first quarter, as well as the successful execution of our strategy." "As we look to the future, our focus remains on enhancing our clients’ experience, strengthening our world-class scientific portfolio, achieving our financial and operational goals, and increasing long‑term shareholder value. We have already established a solid foundation and with a refreshed strategic focus aimed at modernizing the Company and the industry, we intend to continue to evolve and lead the way. By doing so, we will enable the Company to realize its full potential and ensure future success. I am energized to lead this great company into its next chapter of growth and am confident in the path we are taking to create the future for Charles River," Ms. Girshick concluded. First-Quarter Segment Results Research Models and Services (RMS) Revenue for the RMS segment was $208.4 million in the first quarter of 2026, a decrease of 2.2% from $213.1 million in the first quarter of 2025. The impact of foreign currency translation increased revenue by 3.3%. Organic revenue decreased by 5.5%, due primarily to lower revenue for small research models in North America, as well as for large research models. The decline was partially offset by higher revenue for small research models in China. In the first quarter of 2026, the RMS segment’s GAAP operating margin increased to 23.9% from 20.5% in the first quarter of 2025, primarily due to a gain on the sale of real estate in Massachusetts. On a non-GAAP basis, the operating margin decreased to 24.7% from 27.1%. The non-GAAP operating margin decrease was primarily driven by the unfavorable revenue mix, principally related to small research models in North America and large research models. Discovery and Safety Assessment (DSA) Revenue for the DSA segment was $596.9 million in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 0.7% from $592.6 million in the first quarter of 2025. The impact of foreign currency translation increased DSA revenue by 2.2%, while a divestiture reduced reported revenue by 0.1%. Organic revenue decreased by 1.4%, driven primarily by lower revenue for discovery services due in part to the impact of prior site consolidation activities. In the first quarter of 2026, the DSA segment’s GAAP operating margin increased to 17.4% from 15.9% in the first quarter of 2025. The increase was primarily driven by lower third-party legal costs related to a non-human primate (NHP) supply matter, as well as lower costs associated with the Company's restructuring and efficiency initiatives. On a non-GAAP basis, the operating margin decreased to 21.0% from 23.9% in the first quarter of 2025. The non-GAAP operating margin decrease was primarily driven by higher study-related direct costs associated with large-model sourcing and study starts. Manufacturing Solutions (Manufacturing) Revenue for the Manufacturing segment was $190.5 million in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 6.8% from $178.5 million in the first quarter of 2025. The impact of foreign currency translation increased Manufacturing revenue by 3.9%. Organic revenue increased 2.9%, driven by higher revenue in the Microbial Solutions business, partially offset by lower revenue in the CDMO business. The Manufacturing segment’s GAAP operating margin was 24.6%, compared to (4.8)% in the first quarter of 2025. The increase was primarily the result of lower accelerated amortization expense related to certain CDMO client relationships. On a non-GAAP basis, the operating margin increased to 25.9% from 23.1% in the first quarter of 2025, driven primarily by the benefit of cost savings resulting from the Company's restructuring initiatives. Divestiture Update On May 6, 2026, the Company completed the previously announced divestiture of the CDMO and Cell Solutions businesses to GI Partners. In addition, the Company expects to complete the sale of certain European Discovery Services sites in May 2026. These strategic transactions will enable Charles River to refine and refocus its comprehensive portfolio on core competencies and drive synergistic growth in areas in which it has differentiated scientific expertise, including regulated drug development testing. Stock Repurchase Update During the first quarter of 2026, the Company repurchased 1.1 million shares for a total of $200.0 million. As of March 28, 2026, the Company had $800.0 million remaining under its $1.0 billion stock repurchase authorization that was approved by the Board of Directors on October 29, 2025. 2026 Guidance Update The Company is reaffirming its 2026 organic revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share guidance, which was last updated on February 25, 2026, and previously included the expected impact of the completed divestiture of the CDMO and Cell Solutions businesses, as well as the planned divestiture of certain European Discovery Services sites in May 2026. However, the Company is reducing its 2026 reported revenue outlook by approximately 50 basis points to reflect recent changes in assumptions for foreign exchange rates. The Company's GAAP earnings per share guidance has now been updated to primarily reflect the impact of the divestitures. The Company’s 2026 guidance for revenue and earnings per share is as follows: Webcast Charles River has scheduled a live webcast on Thursday, May 7 th , at 8:30 a.m. ET to discuss matters relating to this press release. To participate, please go to ir.criver.com and select the webcast link. You can also find the associated slide presentation and reconciliations of GAAP financial measures to non-GAAP financial measures on the website. Non-GAAP Reconciliations The Company reports non-GAAP results in this press release, which exclude often-one-time charges and other items that are outside of normal operations. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results is provided in the schedules at the end of this press release. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures This press release contains non-GAAP financial measures, such as non-GAAP earnings per share, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP operating margin, and non-GAAP net income. Non-GAAP financial measures exclude, but are not limited to, the amortization of intangible assets and the purchase accounting step-up adjustment on inventory and certain long term biological assets, and other charges and adjustments related to our acquisitions and divestitures, including expenses associated with evaluating and integrating acquisitions and divestitures, including advisory fees, certain transition costs, and certain other transaction-related costs, as well as fair value adjustments associated with contingent consideration; charges, gains, and losses attributable to businesses or properties we plan to close, consolidate, or divest, including the divestitures of our CDMO and Cell Solutions businesses, the sale of certain of our European Discovery Services sites, and the sale of certain assets including real estate; severance and other costs associated with our restructuring initiatives; investment gains or losses associated with our venture capital and certain other strategic equity investments; certain legal costs and adjustments related to an NHP inventory charge in our DSA segment related to now concluded U.S. government investigations into the NHP supply chain; legal and advisory costs related to entering into a Cooperation Agreement with a shareholder; tax effect of all of the aforementioned matters; and adjustments related to the derecognition of certain deferred tax assets due to the CDMO Gene Therapy intangible asset impairment charge, the recognition of deferred tax assets expected to be utilized as a result of changes to the Company's international financing structure, and the revaluation of deferred tax liabilities as a result of foreign tax legislation. This press release also refers to our revenue on both a GAAP and non-GAAP basis: on a non-GAAP basis, we define "organic revenue growth" as reported revenue growth adjusted for foreign currency translation, acquisitions, and divestitures. We exclude these items from the non-GAAP financial measures because they are outside our normal operations. There are limitations in using non-GAAP financial measures, as they are not presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and may be different than non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. In particular, we believe that the inclusion of supplementary non-GAAP financial measures in this press release helps investors to gain a meaningful understanding of our core operating results and future prospects without the effect of these often-one-time charges, and is consistent with how management measures and forecasts the Company's performance, especially when comparing such results to prior periods or forecasts. We believe that the financial impact of our acquisitions and divestitures (and in certain cases, the evaluation of such acquisitions and divestitures, whether or not ultimately consummated) is often large relative to our overall financial performance, which can adversely affect the comparability of our results on a period-to-period basis. In addition, certain activities and their underlying associated costs, such as business acquisitions, generally occur periodically but on an unpredictable basis. We calculate non-GAAP integration costs to include third-party integration costs incurred post-acquisition. Presenting revenue on an organic basis allows investors to measure our revenue growth exclusive of acquisitions, divestitures, and foreign currency exchange fluctuations more clearly. Non-GAAP results also allow investors to compare the Company’s operations against the financial results of other companies in the industry who similarly provide non-GAAP results. The non-GAAP financial measures included in this press release are not meant to be considered superior to or a substitute for results of operations presented in accordance with GAAP. The Company intends to continue to assess the potential value of reporting non-GAAP results consistent with applicable rules and regulations. Reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures used in this press release to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are set forth in this press release, and can also be found on the Company’s website at ir.criver.com. Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "intend," "will," "would," "may," "estimate," "plan," "outlook," and "project," and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These statements also include statements regarding: the projected and/or anticipated future financial performance of Charles River and our specific businesses, including as delineated in our forward-looking guidance, and particularly our expectations with respect to revenue, the impact of foreign exchange, interest rates, and enhanced efficiency initiatives; our expectations with respect to our ability to gain market share; our ability to create long-term value for our shareholders and successfully execute on our strategic initiatives, including the impact and results of the such initiatives; the Company’s plans or prospects, expectations and long-term goals associated with our business including the timing of previously announced planned divestiture of certain European Discovery Services sites; earnings per share; operating margin; client demand, particularly the future demand for drug discovery and development products and services, including our expectations for future revenue trends; our expectations with respect to booking trends and the impacts thereof; our expectations with respect to pricing of our products and services; our expectations with respect to future tax rates and the impact of such tax rates on our business; our expectations with respect to the impact of acquisitions, including the acquisition of the assets of K.F. (Cambodia) Ltd. and of PathoQuest SAS, and divestitures on the Company, our service offerings, client perception, strategic relationships, revenue, revenue growth rates, revenue growth drivers, and earnings; the development and performance of our services and products, including our investments in our portfolio; market and industry conditions including the outsourcing of services and identification of spending trends by our clients and funding available to them; ability to gain market share and capitalize on business and growth opportunities; the impact of our restructuring initiatives, including annualized savings; and the impact of our stock repurchase authorization. Forward-looking statements are based on Charles River’s current expectations and beliefs, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by the forward-looking statements. Those risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the impact of NHP supply constraints; changes and uncertainties in the global economy and financial markets, including disruptions in the global economy caused by geopolitical conflicts; the ability to successfully integrate businesses we acquire, and risks and uncertainties associated with businesses that we acquire; the timing and magnitude of our share repurchases; negative trends in research and development spending, negative trends in the level of outsourced services, or other cost reduction actions by our clients; the ability to convert backlog to revenue; demand and booking trends; special interest groups; contaminations; industry trends; new displacement technologies; USDA and FDA regulations; changes in law; continued availability of products and supplies; loss of key personnel; interest rate and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations; changes in tax regulation and laws; changes in generally accepted accounting principles; and any changes in business, political, or economic conditions due to the threat of future terrorist activity in the U.S. and other parts of the world, and related U.S. military action overseas. A further description of these risks, uncertainties, and other matters can be found in the Risk Factors detailed in Charles River's Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed on February 18, 2026, as well as other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Because forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, actual results and events may differ materially from results and events currently expected by Charles River, and Charles River assumes no obligation and expressly disclaims any duty to update information contained in this press release except as required by law. About Charles River Charles River provides essential products and services to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, government agencies and leading academic institutions around the globe accelerate their research and drug development efforts. Our dedicated employees are focused on providing clients with exactly what they need to improve and expedite the discovery, early-stage development and safe manufacture of new therapies for the patients who need them. To learn more about our unique portfolio and breadth of services, visit www.criver.com .   View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260507027665/en/ Contacts Investor Contact: Todd Spencer Corporate Vice President, Investor Relations 781.222.6455 [email protected] Media Contact: Amy Cianciaruso Corporate Senior Vice President, Chief Communications Officer 781.222.6168 [email protected]

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