Becton Dickinson and Co vs Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc — how do they compare? Becton Dickinson and Co trades at $156.38 (market cap $41.51B), while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $227.54 (market cap $11.14B). The key difference: Becton Dickinson and Co is far larger — about 3.7× Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc's market cap, and Becton Dickinson and Co pays a 2.79% dividend while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BDX | CRL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $41.51B | $11.14B |
Sector | Health | Health |
52-Week High | $185.39 | $233.60 |
52-Week Low | $135.49 | $145.57 |
Enterprise Value | $57.97B | $14.00B |
Dividend Yield | 2.79% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
BDX trades at $153.83, up 1.24% today, with technical indicators showing a neutral to bullish bias. The company has consistently beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, with Q1 2026 EPS of $2.90 exceeding expectations. Revenue growth remains steady, reaching $21.84B in 2025, though net margins have compressed to 5.12%. Recent news highlights BDX's innovation in medical technology and positive analyst sentiment.
The outlook for BDX appears balanced. Upside potential exists from continued earnings beats and strategic positioning in growing healthcare segments like GLP-1 drug support equipment. However, risks include margin pressure, elevated debt levels, and cautious hospital spending. The consensus price target of $173.40 suggests moderate upside from current levels.
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) trades at $229.75, down 1.57% on the day, near its consensus price target of $229.80. The stock shows a bullish technical trend with strong moving average signals and support at $225. Fundamentally, CRL has beaten EPS estimates for three consecutive quarters but reported a net loss of $144.34 million in 2025, with negative profit margins. Recent news highlights collaborations in AI and NGS services, supporting growth prospects.
Outlook remains mixed: analyst consensus is strongly bullish with 72% buy ratings and a high target of $260, but profitability challenges and high P/E of 684.85 pose risks. Cash flow stability and strategic partnerships offer upside, while margin pressures and debt levels require monitoring for sustained recovery.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Becton, Dickinson is the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of medical surgical products, such as needles, syringes, and sharps-disposal units. The company also manufactures diagnostic instruments and reagents, as well as flow cytometry and cell-imaging systems. BD Interventional (largely the former Bard business) accounts for 23% of revenue. International revenue accounts for 44% of the company's business.
Read more on BDX →Charles River Laboratories was founded in 1947 and is a leading provider of drug discovery and development services. The company's research model & services segment is the leading provider of animal models for laboratory testing, which breeds and delivers animal research models with specific genetic characteristics for preclinical studies around the world. The discovery & safety assessment segment includes services required to take a drug through the early development process, including discovery services. The manufacturing support segment includes microbial solutions, which provides in vitro (non-animal) testing products, biologics testing services, and avian vaccine services.
Read more on CRL →