Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc vs General Mills, Inc. — how do they compare? Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $286.45 (market cap $13.46B), while General Mills, Inc. trades at $38.19 (market cap $20.24B). The key difference: General Mills, Inc. is the larger of the two by market cap, and General Mills, Inc. pays a 6.43% dividend while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CRL | GIS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $13.46B | $20.24B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $282.00 | $51.11 |
52-Week Low | $145.57 | $32.17 |
Enterprise Value | $16.30B | $33.73B |
Dividend Yield | — | 6.43% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
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.
General Mills (GIS) trades at $38.21, up 2.55% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but mixed oscillators. Recent earnings show volatility, beating estimates in Q3 2025 and Q2 2026 but missing in Q4 2025. Revenue has declined from $20.1B in 2023 to $19.5B in 2025, with net income margin turning negative at -0.48% for 2026. The company maintains a dividend and is pursuing cost savings initiatives, while debt-to-asset ratio has risen to 45% in 2025.
Outlook is cautious; the stock offers a low P/E of 9.23 and dividend income, but faces headwinds from weak sales, margin pressure, and high debt. Analyst consensus is mixed with 22% buy, 61% hold ratings. Key risks include competitive pressures and execution of turnaround plans. Investors should weigh valuation appeal against fundamental challenges.
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 →General Mills is a leading global packaged food company that produces snacks, cereal, convenient meals, yogurt, dough, baking mixes and ingredients, pet food, and superpremium ice cream. Its largest brands are Nature Valley, Cheerios, Old El Paso, Yoplait, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, BLUE, and Haagen-Dazs. In fiscal 2022, 77% of its revenue was derived from the United States, although the company also operates in Canada, Europe, Australia, Asia, and Latin America. While most of General Mills' products are sold through retail stores to consumers, the company also sells products into the food-service channel and the commercial baking industry.
Read more on GIS →