Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc vs PepsiCo, Inc. — how do they compare? Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $303.99 (market cap $14.23B), while PepsiCo, Inc. trades at $125.95 (market cap $174.89B). The key difference: PepsiCo, Inc. is far larger — about 12.3× Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc's market cap, and PepsiCo, Inc. pays a 4.61% dividend while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc for 33 Days and PepsiCo, Inc. for 107 Days on average.
| CRL | PEP | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.23B | $174.89B |
Volume | 1,176,885 | 23,968,864 |
Sector | Health | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $310.77 | $170.44 |
52-Week Low | $149.93 | $123.64 |
Typical Hold Time | 33 Days | 107 Days |
Enterprise Value | $17.06B | $215.61B |
Dividend Yield | — | 4.61% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) trades at $300.53, up 0.08% on the day, with a bullish technical outlook and strong analyst support. The stock has consistently beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, though it faces profitability challenges with a negative net income margin and ROE. Recent investor day presentations highlighted a strategic plan targeting 5-7% revenue growth and $300 million in savings by 2030, driving positive sentiment.
The outlook is cautiously optimistic, supported by analyst buy ratings and a $305.50 consensus price target, but risks include ongoing margin pressure, volatile non-human primate costs, and a high valuation multiple. Earnings growth and successful execution of the new strategic plan are critical for sustained upside.
PepsiCo (PEP) trades at $125.80, up 1.74% today, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamentals including four consecutive quarterly EPS beats. Revenue grew to $93.93B in 2025, with a net margin of 10.78% and robust cash flow. Analyst consensus is a Buy with a $146.77 price target, though recent news highlights pricing pressures in snacks.
The outlook is mixed: strong profitability and institutional support offer upside, but bearish technicals and consumer pushback on high prices pose near-term risks. Execution on North American turnaround and margin expansion will be critical for sustained growth amid competitive and macroeconomic challenges.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
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 →PepsiCo is one of the largest food and beverage companies globally. It makes, markets, and sells a slew of brands across the beverage and snack categories, including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Doritos, Lays, and Ruffles. The firm uses a largely integrated go-to-market model, though it does leverage third-party bottlers, contract manufacturers, and distributors in certain markets. In addition to company-owned trademarks, Pepsi manufactures and distributes other brands through partnerships and joint ventures with companies such as Starbucks. The firm segments its operations into five primary geographies, with North America (comprising Frito-Lay North America, Quaker Foods North America, and North America beverages) constituting around 60% of consolidated revenue.
Read more on PEP →