Question 1

What is Charles River's P/FCF ratio?

Accepted Answer

Charles River (CRL) P/FCF ratio is 27.4× as of July 22, 2026. The ratio is calculated by dividing market capitalisation by trailing twelve-month free cash flow, using USD-normalised financials (IAS 21 exchange-rate translation for non-USD reporters).

Question 2

How is the P/FCF ratio calculated?

Accepted Answer

P/FCF = Market Capitalisation ÷ Trailing Twelve-Month (TTM) Free Cash Flow, where Free Cash Flow = Operating Cash Flow − Capital Expenditures. All inputs are sourced from audited GAAP/IFRS filings and translated to USD using period-end exchange rates so the multiple is comparable across companies and currencies.

Question 3

What is the P/FCF ratio?

Accepted Answer

The price-to-free-cash-flow (P/FCF) ratio compares a company's market capitalisation to its trailing twelve-month (TTM) free cash flow. It is calculated as market cap ÷ TTM free cash flow, where free cash flow = operating cash flow − capital expenditures. Because FCF cannot be inflated by non-cash accounting items, P/FCF is often considered a cleaner measure of "earnings-power valuation" than P/E — especially for capital-intensive businesses where depreciation diverges from real cash outflows.

Question 4

What is a good P/FCF ratio for Charles River?

Accepted Answer

Mature companies that consistently convert profit into cash often trade at 15–25× P/FCF; capital-intensive businesses with lumpy capex typically trade lower. Compare against sector peers and against the company's own multi-year average — single-year P/FCF can be distorted by working-capital swings. For Charles River specifically, the relevant sector benchmark is the current sector median of 19.1×.

Question 5

Is Charles River's P/FCF ratio high or low?

Accepted Answer

Charles River's P/FCF ratio of 27.4× is below its own 5-year average of 28.6× and above the sector median of 19.1×. That places the current reading at the 45th percentile of its 10-year history. A higher multiple usually reflects stronger expected growth, lower perceived risk, or higher returns on capital; a lower multiple reflects the opposite.

Question 6

What is Charles River's historical P/FCF ratio range?

Accepted Answer

In the available daily series, Charles River (CRL) P/FCF ratio has ranged from a low of 8.4× in 2011 to a high of 681.6× in 2007. The 5-year average is 28.6× and the 5-year median is 33.4×.

Question 7

What was Charles River's P/FCF ratio in 2025?

Accepted Answer

Charles River (CRL) P/FCF ratio at the end of 2025 was 19.3×. Annual values reflect the multiple on the last trading day of each calendar year, using the trailing twelve-month free cash flow figure available at that date.

Question 8

Why does Charles River's P/FCF ratio change over time?

Accepted Answer

Valuation multiples move with two inputs: the numerator (market capitalisation, which tracks the share price) and the denominator (free cash flow). Share-price changes — driven by interest rates, earnings expectations, risk appetite, and broader market sentiment — typically dominate short-term moves, while changes in the underlying fundamental drive the longer-term trend. As a result, the ratio can rise during stock-price rallies even if the business itself has not become more valuable, and fall during sell-offs even when fundamentals are improving.


2025	$10B	$518M	19.3×	+0.5×	Dec 27, 2025
2024	$9.44B	$502M	18.8×	-14.4×	Dec 31, 2024
2023	$12.1B	$365M	33.2×	-4.4×	Dec 31, 2023
2022	$11.1B	$295M	37.6×	+1.9×	Dec 31, 2022
2021	$19B	$532M	35.7×	+3.0×	Dec 31, 2021
2020	$12.4B	$380M	32.7×	+10.8×	Dec 31, 2020
2019	$7.47B	$340M	21.9×	+3.8×	Dec 31, 2019
2018	$5.45B	$301M	18.1×	-3.8×	Dec 31, 2018
2017	$5.12B	$234M	21.9×	+7.1×	Dec 31, 2017
2016	$3.6B	$243M	14.8×	-1.9×	Dec 31, 2016
2015	$3.72B	$223M	16.7×	+1.4×	Dec 31, 2015
2014	$2.96B	$194M	15.2×	+0.3×	Dec 31, 2014
2013	$2.5B	$168M	14.9×	+3.8×	Dec 31, 2013
2012	$1.78B	$160M	11.1×	+2.7×	Dec 31, 2012
2011	$1.32B	$156M	8.4×	-7.6×	Dec 31, 2011
2010	$2.02B	$126M	16.0×	+0.9×	Dec 31, 2010
2009	$2.2B	$145M	15.2×	-6.0×	Dec 31, 2009
2008	$1.75B	$82.9M	21.2×	-56.5×	Dec 31, 2008
2007	$4.45B	$57.2M	77.7×	—	Dec 31, 2007
2006	$2.83B	-$17.4M	—	—	Dec 31, 2006
2005	$3.04B	$141M	21.6×	-0.5×	Dec 31, 2005
2004	$3.08B	$139M	22.1×	+2.7×	Dec 31, 2004
2003	$1.77B	$91.1M	19.4×	-3.3×	Dec 31, 2003
2002	$2.19B	$96.1M	22.7×	—	Dec 31, 2002


McKesson (MCK)	17.8×
Gilead Sciences (GILD)	16.9×
DexCom (DXCM)	16.9×
Pfizer (PFE)	16.7×
Humana (HUM)	16.4×
Quest Diagnostics (DGX)	16.3×
UnitedHealth Group (UNH)	15.9×
Labcorp Holdings (LH)	15.9×
Becton, Dickinson and (BDX)	14.0×
HCA Healthcare (HCA)	13.5×
Elevance Health (ELV)	13.4×
Incyte (INCY)	12.9×
CVS Health (CVS)	12.4×
Universal Health Services (UHS)	12.2×
Baxter International (BAX)	12.1×
Cardinal Health (CAH)	11.3×
IQVIA (IQV)	11.3×
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY)	10.4×
Biogen (BIIB)	10.3×
Zimmer Biomet Holdings (ZBH)	9.6×
Cigna (CI)	9.1×
Viatris (VTRS)	9.1×
DaVita (DVA)	6.9×
Teladoc Health (TDOC)	3.9×
Centene (CNC)	2.5×

P/FCF Ratio for Charles River (CRL) 2002-2026

P/FCF Ratio daily chart for Charles River (CRL)

Historical P/FCF Ratio for Charles River (CRL) from 2002 to 2025

About P/FCF Ratio at Charles River (CRL)

Charles River P/FCF Ratio by Year

Charles River P/FCF Ratio 2025: 19.3×

Charles River P/FCF Ratio 2024: 18.8×

Charles River P/FCF Ratio 2023: 33.2×

Charles River P/FCF Ratio 2022: 37.6×

Charles River P/FCF Ratio 2021: 35.7×

Sector peers by P/FCF Ratio — chart

Sector peers by P/FCF Ratio — table

Frequently asked questions

Charles River (CRL) Key Financials