Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc vs Illumina, Inc. — how do they compare? Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $227.69 (market cap $11.14B), while Illumina, Inc. trades at $186.69 (market cap $28.93B). The key difference: Illumina, Inc. is far larger — about 2.6× Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc's market cap. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CRL | ILMN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $11.14B | $28.93B |
Sector | Health | Health |
52-Week High | $233.60 | $194.33 |
52-Week Low | $145.57 | $91.00 |
Enterprise Value | $14.00B | $30.32B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) trades at $229.75, down 1.57% on the day, near its consensus price target of $229.80. The stock shows a bullish technical trend with strong moving average signals and support at $225. Fundamentally, CRL has beaten EPS estimates for three consecutive quarters but reported a net loss of $144.34 million in 2025, with negative profit margins. Recent news highlights collaborations in AI and NGS services, supporting growth prospects.
Outlook remains mixed: analyst consensus is strongly bullish with 72% buy ratings and a high target of $260, but profitability challenges and high P/E of 684.85 pose risks. Cash flow stability and strategic partnerships offer upside, while margin pressures and debt levels require monitoring for sustained recovery.
Illumina (ILMN) trades at $190.05, showing strong momentum with a 43.7% gain year-to-date and recent earnings beats. The stock is technically bullish, trading near resistance at $191 with solid fundamentals including 19.42% net margins and robust cash flow. Recent leadership appointments and product launches like StrataMap Spatial Solution highlight ongoing innovation in genomics sequencing.
Outlook remains positive driven by sequencing demand and margin expansion, but risks include competitive pressure from Roche's new sequencer and China market weakness. Analyst consensus is bullish with 51% buy ratings, though the current price exceeds the $174.44 target, suggesting near-term valuation concerns.
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 →Illumina provides tools and services to analyze genetic material with life science and clinical lab applications. The company generates over 90% of its revenue from sequencing instruments, consumables, and services. Illumina's high-throughput technology enables whole genome sequencing in humans and other large organisms. Its lower throughput tools enable applications that require smaller data outputs, such as viral and cancer tumor screening. Illumina also sells microarrays (less than 10% of sales) that enable lower-cost, focused genetic screening with primarily consumer and agricultural applications.
Read more on ILMN →