Other holdings underperformed. Scientific research firm Charles River Laboratories Intl, Inc. (NYSE:CRL) slid –8.58% due to contracting customer spending and a general downturn in health care stocks. Like other similar firms, Charles River expanded over the last 15 years to be able to handle peak medical research, but as drug companies scaled back, there was clearly overcapacity. The company’s drug discovery business is still a bit slack. That said, many health care stocks slid this quarter during a huge rotation to financials. We think the current issues are largely cyclical but the secular push toward solving medical problems through pharmaceuticals remains intact—a long-term tailwind for Charles River.
From John Rogers (Trades, Portfolio)' Ariel Fund fourth quarter 2016 commentary.
