Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc vs Paycom Software Inc — how do they compare? Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $231 (market cap $11.14B), while Paycom Software Inc trades at $140.81 (market cap $6.70B). The key difference: Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and Paycom Software Inc pays a 1.04% dividend while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CRL | PAYC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $11.14B | $6.70B |
Sector | Health | Technology |
52-Week High | $233.60 | $238.80 |
52-Week Low | $145.57 | $113.59 |
Enterprise Value | $14.00B | $7.31B |
Dividend Yield | — | 1.04% |
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.
Paycom Software (PAYC) trades at $146.50, up 5.34% on the day, with strong technical momentum and bullish moving average signals. The company demonstrates robust fundamentals with 22.44% net income margin and 37.15% ROE, though Q2 2026 earnings are pending. Recent news highlights product innovation with the launch of Asset Management tool and board appointments, supporting growth prospects in the HCM software sector.
Outlook remains positive with analyst consensus price target of $151 suggesting modest upside, balanced by high valuation multiples and competitive pressures. Key risks include execution challenges in maintaining growth momentum and sensitivity to economic cycles affecting HR software demand.
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 →Paycom is a fast-growing provider of payroll and human capital management, or HCM, software primarily targeting clients with 50-10,000 employees in the United States. Paycom was established in 1998 and services about 18,000 clients as of 2021, based on parent company grouping. Alongside its core payroll software, Paycom offers various HCM add-on modules, including time and attendance, talent management, and benefits administration.
Read more on PAYC →