Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc vs UnitedHealth Group Inc — how do they compare? Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $227.69 (market cap $11.14B), while UnitedHealth Group Inc trades at $415.5 (market cap $389.68B). The key difference: UnitedHealth Group Inc is far larger — about 35× Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc's market cap, and UnitedHealth Group Inc pays a 2.16% dividend while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CRL | UNH | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $11.14B | $389.68B |
Sector | Health | Health |
52-Week High | $233.60 | $431.68 |
52-Week Low | $145.57 | $237.77 |
Enterprise Value | $14.00B | $436.36B |
Dividend Yield | — | 2.16% |
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.
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) trades at $429.09, up 1.05% on the day, with a bullish technical outlook and strong analyst consensus. The stock shows consistent earnings beats, with Q1 2026 EPS of $7.23 exceeding expectations, and a dividend of $2.32 payable in June 2026. Revenue growth remains robust, reaching $447.57B in 2025, though net margins have compressed to 2.68%.
Outlook is positive due to aging demographics and tech innovation in healthcare, but risks include regulatory scrutiny and margin pressure. Wall Street's average price target of $438.33 suggests modest upside, supported by 82.69% buy ratings. Investors should weigh solid cash flow generation against legal challenges and rising debt levels.
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 →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 →