Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc vs Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund — how do they compare? Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc trades at $232.3 (market cap $11.14B), while Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund trades at $157.62. The key difference: Charles River Laboratories Intl. Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CRL | XLV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $11.14B | — |
Sector | Health | — |
52-Week High | $233.60 | $164.48 |
52-Week Low | $145.57 | $129.01 |
Enterprise Value | $14.00B | — |
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.
XLV trades at $161.41, up 0.35% with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The healthcare ETF benefits from State Street's upgraded sector outlook and strong performance from holdings like Johnson & Johnson. Technical indicators show the price near pivot point resistance at $162 with ADX signaling strong trend momentum.
Healthcare sector rotation provides tailwinds as investors seek defensive exposure amid tech volatility. Key risks include patent cliffs and regulatory uncertainty, but diversified healthcare exposure offers stability with upcoming dividend distribution in June 2026 supporting total return potential.
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 →In seeking to track the performance of the index, the fund employs a replication strategy. It generally invests substantially all, but at least 95%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the index. The index includes companies from the following industries: pharmaceuticals; health care equipment & supplies; health care providers & services; biotechnology; life sciences tools & services; and health care technology. The fund is non-diversified.
Read more on XLV →