Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc vs Prudential Financial Inc — how do they compare? Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $287.34 (market cap $13.46B), while Prudential Financial Inc trades at $122.32 (market cap $42.20B). The key difference: Prudential Financial Inc is far larger — about 3.1× Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc's market cap, and Prudential Financial Inc pays a 4.58% dividend while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CRL | PRU | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $13.46B | $42.20B |
Sector | Health | Financials |
52-Week High | $282.00 | $123.93 |
52-Week Low | $145.57 | $92.00 |
Enterprise Value | $16.30B | $70.98B |
Dividend Yield | — | 4.58% |
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.
PRU trades at $122.34, up 0.19% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and support near $122. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat estimates at $4.08 EPS, driven by strong PGIM and international performance. The company maintains a solid net income margin of 6.04% and ROE of 12.46%, with a dividend of $1.40 declared for September 2026. Revenue trends show growth from 2022 lows, reaching $61.0B in 2025.
Outlook is cautiously optimistic with earnings momentum and strategic focus on capital-light operations, but risks include sensitivity to interest rates and China regulatory news. Analysts are mixed with a $113.11 consensus target below current price, suggesting limited upside. Institutional holdings grew, as seen with Assenagon's 379.8% stake increase in Q2 2026.
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 →Prudential Financial is a large, diversified insurance company offering annuities, life insurance, retirement plan services, and asset management products. While it operates in a number of countries, the vast majority of revenue is generated in the United States and Japan. The company's investment management business, PGIM, contributes approximately 15% of its earnings and has over $1.5 trillion in assets under management. The U.S. businesses are responsible for about 45% of earnings and can be classified into Institutional Retirement Strategies, Individual Retirement Strategies, Group Insurance, Individual Life Insurance, and Assurance IQ. Finally, the international business segment of the company contributes approximately 40% of earnings with a strong market position in Japan.
Read more on PRU →