Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc vs Herbalife Nutrition Ltd — how do they compare? Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $288.87 (market cap $13.46B), while Herbalife Nutrition Ltd trades at $11.76 (market cap $1.23B). The key difference: Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc is far larger — about 10.9× Herbalife Nutrition Ltd's market cap, and Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Herbalife Nutrition Ltd nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CRL | HLF | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $13.46B | $1.23B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $282.00 | $19.96 |
52-Week Low | $145.57 | $7.75 |
Enterprise Value | $16.30B | $3.06B |
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.
Herbalife (HLF) trades at $11.695, up 1.52% on the day, with a bearish technical outlook per moving averages. The company reported Q2 2026 net sales of $1.3 billion, a 5.4% year-over-year increase, though EPS of $0.51 missed estimates. Valuation ratios appear attractive with a P/E of 7.53 and P/S of 0.24. Positive news includes being named to TIME's America's Best Companies 2026 list, but a planned CFO transition in December 2026 introduces uncertainty.
The outlook is mixed; strong sales growth and low valuation metrics offer potential upside, but recent earnings misses, a high debt load, and negative shareholder equity pose significant risks. Analyst consensus leans bullish with 53.84% buy ratings, yet the stock faces headwinds from competitive pressures and margin volatility.
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 →Herbalife Nutrition Ltd is an international nutrition company.
Read more on HLF →