Charter Communications Inc vs Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc — how do they compare? Charter Communications Inc trades at $157.44 (market cap $18.28B), while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $282.01 (market cap $13.22B). The key difference: Charter Communications Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Charter Communications Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CHTR | CRL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $18.28B | $13.22B |
Sector | Media | Health |
52-Week High | $282.74 | $282.00 |
52-Week Low | $123.31 | $145.57 |
Enterprise Value | $114.49B | $16.06B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Charter Communications (CHTR) trades at $152.57, down 3.09% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but mixed oscillators. The stock shows low valuation multiples with a P/E of 3.97 and P/S of 0.36, supported by a 9.05% net income margin and strong operating cash flow of $16.08B in 2025. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations with EPS of $10.66 versus $9.98 estimated, though revenue declined 1.7% year-over-year. News highlights debt refinancing activities and competitive pressures in broadband.
The outlook remains cautious due to subscriber losses and fiber competition, but the extreme valuation discount and aggressive buybacks offer potential upside. Risks include high debt leverage at $93.21B long-term and persistent industry headwinds. Analyst consensus is mixed with a $166.18 price target, suggesting 9% upside from current levels.
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
Charter is the product of the 2016 merger of three cable companies, each with a decades-long history in the business: Legacy Charter, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks. The firm now holds networks capable of providing television, internet access, and phone services to roughly 54 million U.S. homes and businesses, around 40% of the country. Across this footprint, Charter serves 29 million residential and 2 million commercial customer accounts under the Spectrum brand, making it the second-largest U.S. cable company behind Comcast. The firm also owns, in whole or in part, sports and news networks, including Spectrum SportsNet (long-term local rights to Los Angeles Lakers games), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles Dodgers), SportsNet New York (New York Mets), and Spectrum News NY1.
Read more on CHTR →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 →