Charles River Laboratories International announced that long‑time Chair, President and CEO James C. Foster will retire in May 2026, with current Chief Operating Officer Birgit Girshick appointed as his successor and nominated to join the Board, while Foster remains as a non‑executive Director and the Chair and CEO roles are separated. This transition caps Foster’s 50‑year tenure in which Charles River evolved from a niche research models business into a global preclinical contract research organization generating over 80% of its revenue from services, while Girshick brings more than 35 years of internal operational leadership across nearly all major business lines. We’ll now examine how elevating long‑serving COO Birgit Girshick to CEO reshapes Charles River’s existing investment narrative and risk profile.

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Charles River Laboratories International Investment Narrative Recap

To own Charles River Laboratories, you need to believe its position in outsourced preclinical research can translate a complex, service heavy model into improving profitability despite recent revenue softness, biotech funding uncertainty and competition. The CEO succession to long serving COO Birgit Girshick appears thoughtfully staged and, by itself, does not materially change the near term focus on converting backlog, stabilizing DSA demand and containing margin pressure from pricing and cancellations.

The May 2025 announcement of a wide ranging strategic review, coupled with Elliott Investment Management joining as a cooperating investor, is the clearest recent signal that Charles River’s board is already probing options to improve growth, returns and capital allocation. Against that backdrop, the Girshick transition looks more like the governance and leadership continuity piece of a broader reset than a standalone catalyst, with execution on cost savings and organic demand recovery still doing most of the heavy lifting.

But even with this orderly succession plan, investors should be aware that rising cancellations and a book to bill below 1x could…

Read the full narrative on Charles River Laboratories International (it’s free!)

Charles River Laboratories International’s narrative projects $4.4 billion revenue and $483.2 million earnings by 2028. This requires 2.8% yearly revenue growth and a $552.4 million earnings increase from -$69.2 million today.

Uncover how Charles River Laboratories International’s forecasts yield a $188.93 fair value, a 14% downside to its current price.

Exploring Other PerspectivesCRL 1-Year Stock Price ChartCRL 1-Year Stock Price Chart

Two fair value estimates from the Simply Wall St Community span roughly US$188.93 to US$251.05 per share, showing how far apart individual expectations can be. You should weigh these against the current dependence on backlog conversion amid softer organic bookings, which could influence how quickly any perceived mispricing is resolved.

Explore 2 other fair value estimates on Charles River Laboratories International – why the stock might be worth as much as 14% more than the current price!

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data
and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your
financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data.
Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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