Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc vs National Beverage Corp. — how do they compare? Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $288.87 (market cap $13.46B), while National Beverage Corp. trades at $30.9 (market cap $2.89B). The key difference: Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc is far larger — about 4.7× National Beverage Corp.'s market cap, and Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, National Beverage Corp. nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CRL | FIZZ | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $13.46B | $2.89B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $282.00 | $46.75 |
52-Week Low | $145.57 | $30.53 |
Enterprise Value | $16.30B | $2.60B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) trades at $284.37, up 2.66% today and near its 52-week high, reflecting strong bullish momentum. The stock has consistently beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, including a Q2 2026 EPS of $3.02 versus $2.77 expected, and the company raised its full-year guidance. Despite negative net income margins, operating cash flow remains robust at $738 million in 2025. Analyst sentiment is overwhelmingly positive with 26 buy ratings and a consensus price target of $277.29.
The outlook is supported by improving biotech demand and cost controls, but high valuation multiples and recent insider selling pose risks. Earnings growth and margin expansion are key catalysts, though profitability challenges and macroeconomic sensitivity could pressure the stock. Investors should weigh strong technicals and analyst support against fundamental weaknesses and execution risks.
FIZZ trades at $30.95, down 0.29% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages and a neutral stance from oscillators. Revenue has been stable around $1.2B annually, with net income margins improving to 15.56% in 2025. Recent earnings have missed expectations in three of the last four quarters, while the company declared a special dividend of $3.25 per share payable in July 2026.
The outlook is mixed; strong profitability and a reasonable P/E of 15.73 offer value, but stagnant growth and bearish analyst consensus pose risks. The stock's performance hinges on reversing earnings misses and addressing competitive pressures in the beverage market.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →National Beverage Corp is one of the top 10 non-alcoholic beverage companies in the U.S. Its portfolio skews toward functional drinks (that is those purporting to offer health benefits) and is anchored by the popular LaCroix sparkling water trademark. Other offerings include Rip It energy drinks, Everfresh juices, and soda brands like Shasta and Faygo. The firm controls most of its production and distribution apparatus, with very little outsourcing. In terms of go-to-market, it uses warehouse distribution for big-box retailers, direct-store-delivery for convenience stores and other small outlets, and food-service distributors for the food-service channel (schools, hospitals, restaurants). It is controlled by chairman and CEO Nick Caporella, who owns over 73% of the common stock.
Read more on FIZZ →