Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc vs KLA Corp. — how do they compare? Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $287.39 (market cap $13.46B), while KLA Corp. trades at $208.76 (market cap $261.92B). The key difference: KLA Corp. is far larger — about 19.5× Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc's market cap, and KLA Corp. pays a 0.46% dividend while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CRL | KLAC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $13.46B | $261.92B |
Sector | Health | Technology |
52-Week High | $282.00 | $301.71 |
52-Week Low | $145.57 | $84.39 |
Enterprise Value | $16.30B | $263.17B |
Dividend Yield | — | 0.46% |
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.
KLA Corporation (KLAC) trades at $209.16, up 8.52% over 24 hours, reflecting strong momentum amid bullish technical signals and consistent earnings beats. The stock exhibits robust fundamentals with a 35.57% net income margin and 87.5% ROE, supported by a recent dividend hike and stock split. Analyst consensus is bullish with a $246.93 price target, though elevated valuation ratios like a P/E of 54.77 warrant caution.
Outlook remains positive driven by AI-driven semiconductor equipment demand, but risks include high valuation sensitivity and cyclical industry exposure. The stock offers growth potential with disciplined risk management advised given overbought technical conditions and macroeconomic uncertainties.
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 →KLA designs and manufactures yield-management and process-monitoring diagnostic and control systems for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. The systems are used to analyze the manufacturing process at various steps in a semiconductor's development. The firm's laser-scanning products are used for wafer qualification, process monitoring, and equipment monitoring. KLA also provides inspection tools and systems for optical metrology and e-beam metrology.
Read more on KLAC →