Charles River Laboratories (CRL Quick QuoteCRL - Free Report) reported $995.83 million in revenue for the quarter ended March 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 1.2%. EPS of $2.06 for the same period compares to $2.34 a year ago.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +2.55% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $971.06 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.96, the EPS surprise was +5.24%.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how Charles River performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Revenue- Research Models and Services: $208.37 million versus $208.44 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -2.2% change.
• Revenue- Manufacturing Solutions: $190.54 million compared to the $187.36 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +6.8% year over year.
• Revenue- Discovery and Safety Assessment: $596.92 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $587.28 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +0.7%.
• Operating income- Manufacturing Solutions- Non-GAAP: $49.29 million compared to the $45.39 million average estimate based on three analysts.
• Operating income- Discovery and Safety Assessment- Non-GAAP: $125.07 million versus $129.35 million estimated by three analysts on average.
• Operating income- Research Models and Services- Non-GAAP: $51.54 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $49.93 million.
• Operating income- Discovery and Safety Assessment: $103.88 million compared to the $104.54 million average estimate based on two analysts.
• Operating income- Research Models and Services: $49.77 million compared to the $36.87 million average estimate based on two analysts.
• Operating income- Manufacturing Solutions: $46.84 million versus $29.7 million estimated by two analysts on average.
• Operating income- Unallocated Corporate Overhead: $-80.59 million compared to the $-75.94 million average estimate based on two analysts.

View all Key Company Metrics for Charles River here>>>

Shares of Charles River have returned +3.8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +11.4% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.