Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc vs Vanguard Value Index Fund ETF — how do they compare? Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $288.87 (market cap $13.46B), while Vanguard Value Index Fund ETF trades at $225.16. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CRL | VTV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $13.46B | — |
Sector | Health | — |
52-Week High | $282.00 | $225.35 |
52-Week Low | $145.57 | $179.43 |
Enterprise Value | $16.30B | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) trades at $284.37, up 2.66% today and near its 52-week high, reflecting strong bullish momentum. The stock has consistently beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, including a Q2 2026 EPS of $3.02 versus $2.77 expected, and the company raised its full-year guidance. Despite negative net income margins, operating cash flow remains robust at $738 million in 2025. Analyst sentiment is overwhelmingly positive with 26 buy ratings and a consensus price target of $277.29.
The outlook is supported by improving biotech demand and cost controls, but high valuation multiples and recent insider selling pose risks. Earnings growth and margin expansion are key catalysts, though profitability challenges and macroeconomic sensitivity could pressure the stock. Investors should weigh strong technicals and analyst support against fundamental weaknesses and execution risks.
Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) trades at $226.29, up 0.56% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The ETF focuses on large-cap U.S. value stocks and is benefiting from a rotation into value strategies in 2026, with one Vanguard deep-value fund reportedly up 22% this year. Recent institutional activity shows mixed positioning, with some firms increasing stakes while others reduce holdings.
The outlook for VTV is positive amid the shift toward value investing, though the RSI-6 at 90.75 indicates potential overbought conditions. Risks include market volatility and sector concentration, but its diversified value approach offers stability if growth stocks underperform. Analyst sentiment remains constructive on value ETFs for income and defensive positioning.
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 →The fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the CRSP US Large Cap Value Index, a broadly diversified index predominantly made up of value stocks of large US companies. The advisor attempts to replicate the target index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the stocks that make up the index, holding each stock in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the index.
Read more on VTV →