Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc vs Nutrien Ltd — how do they compare? Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $281.43 (market cap $13.46B), while Nutrien Ltd trades at $67.28 (market cap $32.05B). The key difference: Nutrien Ltd is far larger — about 2.4× Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc's market cap, and Nutrien Ltd pays a 3.27% dividend while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CRL | NTR | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $13.46B | $32.05B |
Sector | Health | Basic Materials |
52-Week High | $282.00 | $83.94 |
52-Week Low | $145.57 | $53.64 |
Enterprise Value | $16.30B | $43.86B |
Dividend Yield | — | 3.27% |
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.
Nutrien (NTR) trades at $66.85, up 0.81% today, with a bearish technical signal despite neutral oscillators. Recent Q2 2026 earnings missed EPS estimates but beat on revenue, driven by higher potash prices. The company maintains a stable dividend of $0.55 per share and shows improving net income margins, though cash flow trends have weakened. Analyst consensus is bullish with a $76.17 price target, highlighting structural advantages in nitrogen assets.
The outlook is mixed: strong fundamentals and analyst support suggest upside, but technical weakness and volatile earnings pose risks. Key opportunities include exposure to agricultural cycles and cost advantages; risks involve input cost pressures and execution challenges in a competitive fertilizer market.
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 →Created in 2018 as a result of the merger between PotashCorp and Agrium, Nutrien is the world's largest fertilizer producer by capacity. Nutrien produces the three main crop nutrients--nitrogen, potash, and phosphate--although its main focus is potash, where it is the global leader in installed capacity with roughly 20% share. The company is also the largest agricultural retailer in the United States, selling fertilizers, crop chemicals, seeds, and services directly to farm customers through its brick-and-mortar stores and online platforms.
Read more on NTR →