Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc vs Union Pacific Corporation — how do they compare? Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $227.69 (market cap $11.14B), while Union Pacific Corporation trades at $288.34 (market cap $171.17B). The key difference: Union Pacific Corporation is far larger — about 15.4× Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc's market cap, and Union Pacific Corporation pays a 1.91% dividend while Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CRL | UNP | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $11.14B | $171.17B |
Sector | Health | Industrials |
52-Week High | $233.60 | $289.13 |
52-Week Low | $145.57 | $214.91 |
Enterprise Value | $14.00B | $201.64B |
Dividend Yield | — | 1.91% |
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.
Union Pacific (UNP) trades at $289.13, up 0.76% with a bullish technical signal. The company shows strong profitability with 29.2% net margins and 40.69% ROE, though valuation multiples remain elevated. Recent earnings beat expectations in Q1 2026, and the proposed Norfolk Southern merger represents a significant growth catalyst. Cash flow generation remains robust at $9.29B from operations in 2025.
Outlook remains positive with analyst consensus at Buy and $304.23 price target, though regulatory hurdles for the merger and elevated RSI levels pose near-term risks. The stock offers dividend growth potential with stable operational performance, but faces headwinds from industry consolidation concerns and potential legal liabilities from ongoing class action litigation.
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 →Omaha, Nebraska-based Union Pacific is the largest public railroad in North America. Operating on more than 30,000 miles of track in the western two thirds of the U.S., UP generated roughly $22 billion of revenue in 2021 by hauling coal, industrial products, intermodal containers, agriculture goods, chemicals, and automotive goods. UP owns about one fourth of Mexican railroad Ferromex and derives about 10% of its revenue hauling freight to and from Mexico.
Read more on UNP →