Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc vs Palo Alto Networks Inc — how do they compare? Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $227.69 (market cap $11.14B), while Palo Alto Networks Inc trades at $354.44 (market cap $287.61B). The key difference: Palo Alto Networks Inc is far larger — about 25.8× Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc's market cap. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CRL | PANW | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $11.14B | $287.61B |
Sector | Health | Technology |
52-Week High | $233.60 | $357.53 |
52-Week Low | $145.57 | $141.67 |
Enterprise Value | $14.00B | $286.57B |
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.
Palo Alto Networks (PANW) trades at $330.30, up 1.35% with a bullish technical outlook and strong earnings beats. The stock shows robust revenue growth to $9.22B in 2025 and a net income margin of 7.95%, though valuation ratios like P/E of 287.22 remain elevated. Recent news highlights cybersecurity sector tailwinds from AI-driven threats and IBM's client shifts, fueling positive sentiment.
Outlook is positive with 74% analyst buy ratings and a $336.65 consensus target, but high valuations and integration costs pose risks. Revenue growth and platformization strategy support upside, while competition and macroeconomic pressures require monitoring for sustained gains.
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 →Palo Alto Networks is a pure-play cybersecurity vendor that sells security appliances, subscriptions, and support into enterprises, government entities, and service providers. The company's product portfolio includes firewall appliances, virtual firewalls, endpoint protection, cloud security, and cybersecurity analytics. The Santa Clara, California, firm was established in 2005 and sells its products worldwide.
Read more on PANW →