Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc vs iShares Russell 2000 ETF — how do they compare? Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $228.2 (market cap $11.14B), while iShares Russell 2000 ETF trades at $296.88. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CRL | IWM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $11.14B | — |
Sector | Health | — |
52-Week High | $233.60 | $300.45 |
52-Week Low | $145.57 | $214.95 |
Enterprise Value | $14.00B | — |
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.
IWM trades at $293.44, down 0.85% on the day amid a bearish technical signal. The ETF shows mixed momentum with moving averages bullish but oscillators neutral, while recent news highlights small-cap outperformance versus large caps year-to-date. Support levels cluster around $289-292 with resistance at $295-298. The Russell 2000 has gained 22.1% YTD according to The Motley Fool (2026-07-02), though some analysts question sustainability amid Fed policy uncertainty.
Outlook remains bifurcated: strong small-cap performance offers growth potential in economic expansion, but higher volatility and interest rate sensitivity pose risks. The ETF's 0.19% expense ratio and diversification across nearly 2,000 stocks provide structural benefits, though valuation concerns persist as passive flows increase exposure.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →The ETF is designed to track the performance of the securities and the stocks in the Russell 2000 Index. To maintain the composition and weightings, the advisor adjusts the ETF from time to time to conform to periodic changes in the index target.
Read more on IWM →