Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $949.49 (market cap $418.79B), while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $286.16 (market cap $13.46B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 31.1× 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.
| COST | CRL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $418.79B | $13.46B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Health |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $282.00 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $145.57 |
Enterprise Value | $406.93B | $16.30B |
Dividend Yield | 0.62% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) trades at $948.1, down 0.49% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages but neutral oscillators. The company reported strong revenue growth to $275.24B in 2025 and net income of $8.10B, though it missed Q1 2026 EPS estimates. Recent news highlights March sales up 11.3% year-over-year and institutional buying activity, while the stock remains near its 52-week high of $1,067.08.
Outlook is supported by robust membership fee growth and expansion, but high valuation ratios like a P/E of 47.5 pose risks. Analyst consensus is bullish with a $1,120 price target, though competitive pressures and economic sensitivity could challenge margins. The stock offers long-term growth potential if valuation aligns with earnings momentum.
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) trades at $286.36, up 3.38% today and near its 52-week high of $277.07. The stock shows strong technical momentum with bullish moving averages and has beaten earnings estimates for three consecutive quarters. Recent Q2 2026 results exceeded expectations with EPS of $3.02 versus $2.77 estimate, driving positive sentiment. However, valuation metrics remain elevated with P/E at 684.85 and negative profitability margins.
While technical indicators and analyst consensus (72% buy ratings) support near-term upside, fundamental concerns persist with negative net income margin (-5.96%) and ROE (-7.7%). The stock faces execution risks in maintaining earnings momentum amid competitive pressures. Current price exceeds consensus target of $277.29, suggesting limited near-term upside potential despite positive business inflection.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →