Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc vs Novavax Inc — how do they compare? Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $228.74 (market cap $11.14B), while Novavax Inc trades at $8.43 (market cap $1.38B). The key difference: Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc is far larger — about 8.1× Novavax Inc's market cap, and Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Novavax Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CRL | NVAX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $11.14B | $1.38B |
Sector | Health | Health |
52-Week High | $233.60 | $11.19 |
52-Week Low | $145.57 | $6.22 |
Enterprise Value | $14.00B | $889.29M |
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.
Novavax (NVAX) trades at $8.91, down 4.5% today, with a bearish technical signal despite recent earnings beats. The company shows mixed fundamentals with strong revenue of $1.12B in 2025 but negative equity of -$623.84M. Analyst consensus remains bullish with a $14.00 price target, though cash flow trends show ongoing operational losses. Recent news highlights shareholder dissent and market underperformance compared to peers.
The outlook is cautious; while valuation ratios like P/E of 3.14 appear attractive, persistent negative cash flow and high liabilities pose significant risks. Upside depends on sustainable profitability and execution amid competitive vaccine markets. Investors should weigh analyst optimism against fundamental weaknesses and 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 →Novavax, Inc. is a clinical stage biotechnology company. The Company creates novel vaccines to address a broad range of infectious diseases worldwide using proprietary virus-like particle (VLP) technology.
Read more on NVAX →