Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $946.92 (market cap $420.05B), while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $301.79 (market cap $14.23B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 29.5× Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc's market cap, and Costco Wholesale Corporation pays a 0.62% dividend while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Costco Wholesale Corporation for 133 Days and Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc for 33 Days on average.
| COST | CRL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $420.05B | $14.23B |
Volume | 2,087,565 | 1,176,885 |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Health |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $310.77 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $149.93 |
Typical Hold Time | 133 Days | 33 Days |
Enterprise Value | $407.33B | $17.06B |
Dividend Yield | 0.62% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Costco (COST) trades at $947.92, up 0.6% on the day, near its pivot point of $947 with strong analyst consensus. The stock shows bullish moving averages but overbought RSI signals. Recent March sales surged 11.3% year-over-year to $28.41 billion (Costco report, April 8, 2026), while Q2 2026 EPS beat expectations. Valuation remains elevated with a P/E of 45.66, supported by robust membership fee growth and expansion.
Outlook is positive given consistent revenue growth and high renewal rates post-fee hike, but risks include premium valuation sensitivity and competitive pressures. The consensus price target of $1,100 implies ~16% upside, with institutional buying underscoring confidence. Key catalysts are Q3 2026 earnings and sustained comp sales momentum.
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) trades at $298, down 0.77% on the day, with strong analyst support showing 73% buy ratings and a $305.50 consensus price target. The stock maintains a bullish technical outlook with support at $292 and resistance at $301, while recent earnings have consistently beaten expectations despite negative net income margins. The company's 2026 Investor Day highlighted a strategic vision targeting 5-7% organic growth and $300 million in savings by 2030.
CRL presents a compelling growth story with solid operational cash flow and strategic initiatives, though investors face risks from negative profitability metrics and elevated valuation multiples. The stock's current position near analyst targets suggests limited upside without improved earnings execution, while ongoing margin pressures and debt levels require careful monitoring amid the company's transformation efforts.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
Latest headlines on both assets
The leading warehouse club, Costco has 815 stores worldwide (at the end of fiscal 2021), with most sales derived in the United States (72%) and Canada (14%). It sells memberships that allow customers to shop in its warehouses, which feature low prices on a limited product assortment. Costco mainly caters to individual shoppers, but roughly 20% of paid members carry business memberships. Food and sundries accounted for 40% of fiscal 2021 sales, with non-food merchandise 29%, warehouse ancillary and other businesses (such as fuel and pharmacy) nearly 17%, and fresh food 14%. Costco's warehouses average around 146,000 square feet
Read more on COST →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 →