Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Class A Common Stock vs Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc — how do they compare? Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Class A Common Stock trades at $298.3 (market cap $8.04B), while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $231 (market cap $11.14B). The key difference: Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Class A Common Stock nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BIO | CRL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.04B | $11.14B |
Sector | Health | Health |
52-Week High | $339.75 | $233.60 |
52-Week Low | $241.71 | $145.57 |
Enterprise Value | $7.85B | $14.00B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
BIO trades at $297.58, up 0.5% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a consensus analyst price target of $305. The stock shows strong profitability with a 51.87% gross margin and positive net income of $760M in 2025, though recent quarters have seen EPS misses. Cash flow from operations remains robust at $532M, supporting financial stability.
Outlook is cautiously optimistic with analyst support, but risks include earnings volatility and high P/E valuation. The company's return to profitability and solid balance sheet provide a foundation for growth, though investors should monitor execution against future earnings expectations and competitive pressures in the biotech sector.
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
Bio-Rad Laboratories, headquartered in Hercules, California, develops, manufactures, and markets products and solutions for the clinical diagnostics and life sciences markets. In diagnostics (53% of sales), Bio-Rad manufactures, sells, and supports test systems and specialized quality controls for clinical laboratories. In life sciences (47% of sales), the firm develops and manufactures a range of instruments and reagents used in research, biopharmaceutical production, and food testing. The company is geographically diverse, with major markets in the Americas (42% of 2021 sales), Europe and Africa (33%), and Asia-Pacific (25%). Bio-Rad owns 37% of Sartorius AG, a laboratory and biopharmaceutical supplier.
Read more on BIO →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 →