Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc vs UnitedHealth Group Inc — how do they compare? Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $301.79 (market cap $14.23B), while UnitedHealth Group Inc trades at $379.3 (market cap $332.96B). The key difference: UnitedHealth Group Inc is far larger — about 23.4× Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc's market cap, and UnitedHealth Group Inc pays a 2.5% 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 UnitedHealth Group Inc for 97 Days on average.
| CRL | UNH | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $14.23B | $332.96B |
Volume | 1,176,885 | 7,273,749 |
Sector | Health | Health |
52-Week High | $310.77 | $436.35 |
52-Week Low | $149.93 | $259.02 |
Typical Hold Time | 33 Days | 97 Days |
Enterprise Value | $17.06B | $374.82B |
Dividend Yield | — | 2.5% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) trades at $301.79, up 0.5% with strong analyst support (73% buy ratings) and a $305.50 consensus target. The stock shows bullish technical momentum above key support levels, though fundamentals reveal challenges with negative net income margins (-5.96%) and elevated P/E ratio (684.85). Recent quarterly earnings beats and a new 2030 growth strategy provide optimism, but profitability concerns persist amid flat revenue trends.
The outlook balances near-term technical strength against fundamental headwinds. Investment opportunity lies in execution of the 5-7% growth target and $300M savings plan, while risks include sustained negative profitability, high debt levels ($2.24B), and margin pressure. Current price near resistance at $304 suggests limited upside without fundamental improvement.
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) trades at $375.98, showing minor daily weakness but maintaining a bullish technical signal. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings, beating estimates, and reaffirmed its full-year outlook. Revenue growth remains robust, though net margins have compressed from prior years. Analyst sentiment is overwhelmingly positive, with a consensus price target of $473.89 implying significant upside.
The outlook for UNH is favorable, driven by earnings momentum and strategic initiatives like AI investment. Key risks include regulatory pressures and medical cost trends. The stock presents a compelling opportunity for investors seeking exposure to a leading healthcare company with solid fundamentals and Wall Street support.
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 →UnitedHealth Group is one of the largest private health insurers, providing medical benefits to 50 million members globally, including 5 million outside the U.S. at the end of 2021. As a leader in employer-sponsored, self-directed, and government-backed insurance plans, UnitedHealth has obtained massive scale in managed care. Along with its insurance assets, UnitedHealth's continued investments in its Optum franchises have created a healthcare services colossus that spans everything from medical and pharmaceutical benefits to providing outpatient care and analytics to both affiliated and third-party customers.
Read more on UNH →