CF Industries Holdings, Inc. vs Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc — how do they compare? CF Industries Holdings, Inc. trades at $118.04 (market cap $18.38B), while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $282.01 (market cap $13.22B). The key difference: CF Industries Holdings, Inc. is the larger of the two by market cap, and CF Industries Holdings, Inc. pays a 1.98% dividend while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CF | CRL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $18.38B | $13.22B |
Sector | Basic Materials | Health |
52-Week High | $137.55 | $282.00 |
52-Week Low | $76.08 | $145.57 |
Enterprise Value | $19.52B | $16.06B |
Dividend Yield | 1.98% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
CF Industries Holdings (CF) trades at $114.35, down 2.04% today, reflecting a bearish technical trend with support at $112 and resistance at $116. The company reported mixed Q2 2026 earnings, missing EPS estimates at $4.73 versus $5.63 expected, but revenue grew 17.6% year-over-year on strong nitrogen pricing. Fundamentals remain solid with a P/E of 8.48 and net income margin of 27.12%, while cash flow improved to $368 million in 2025. Recent news highlights institutional buying and nitrogen market tightness supporting mid-cycle earnings.
Outlook is cautiously optimistic; CF benefits from robust nitrogen demand and pricing, with analyst consensus target at $119.60 implying upside. Risks include volume volatility from plant outages and debt levels, but high ROE (39.19%) and dividend payments signal financial health. Investors may find value at current levels if operational execution aligns with favorable industry conditions.
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) trades at $267.49, up 0.75% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but overbought RSI readings. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings, beating estimates with EPS of $3.02 versus $2.77 expected, and raised full-year guidance. Despite negative net income margins and high valuation multiples, analyst sentiment remains overwhelmingly positive with 72% buy ratings.
CRL shows operational strength with consistent earnings beats and improved demand, yet faces risks from high debt and profitability challenges. The consensus price target of $277.29 suggests modest upside, but investors must weigh growth prospects against valuation concerns and macroeconomic pressures on biotech spending.
Trailing returns across standard periods
CF Industries is a leading producer and distributor of nitrogen fertilizers. The company operates seven nitrogen facilities in North America and holds joint venture interests in further production capacity in the United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago. CF makes nitrogen primarily using low-cost U.S. natural gas as its feedstock, making CF one of the lowest-cost nitrogen producers globally.
Read more on CF →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 →