How Does Charles River Laboratories International Stock Compare With Peers?
Charles River Laboratories stock saw a 7% return over the past year, but how does it truly measure up against peers scaling in an AI-driven, evolving CRO market facing cost pressures and regulatory shifts? A closer look reveals negative LTM revenue growth and a challenging negative P/E, despite respectable operating and free cash flow margins. This presents a nuanced picture, suggesting headwinds for growth and valuation amidst competitive dynamics.
- CRL’s 8.8% operating margin, well below MEDP’s 21.1%, reflects impacts from restructuring, lower service volume, and broader portfolio challenges.
- CRL’s -0.9% revenue decline, lagging all peers, stems from weak biopharma spending and loss of key contracts.
- CRL’s 7.2% stock gain is modest, with its -97.8 PE reflecting investor concern over recent losses and goodwill impairment.
Here’s how Charles River Laboratories International stacks up across size, valuation, and profitability versus key peers.
| CRL | LH | TMO | IQV | FTRE | MEDP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap ($ Bil) | 8.2 | 24.1 | 199.3 | 30.2 | 1.1 | 12.0 |
| Revenue ($ Bil) | 4.0 | 13.8 | 43.7 | 15.9 | 2.8 | 2.5 |
| PE Ratio | -97.8 | 28.2 | 30.3 | 23.5 | -1.0 | 26.6 |
| LTM Revenue Growth | -0.9% | 8.3% | 3.2% | 3.8% | 1.9% | 20.0% |
| LTM Operating Margin | 8.8% | 9.9% | 18.4% | 14.2% | -2.4% | 21.1% |
| LTM FCF Margin | 13.5% | 10.0% | 14.0% | 13.9% | -0.6% | 26.9% |
| 12M Market Return | 7.2% | 19.6% | -3.0% | -11.8% | -23.1% | 29.3% |
For more details on Charles River Laboratories International, read Buy or Sell CRL Stock. Below we compare CRL’s growth, margin, and valuation with peers across years
Revenue Growth Comparison
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| LTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRL | -0.9% | – | -1.9% | 3.9% | 12.3% |
| LH | 8.3% | – | 7.0% | 2.5% | -9.7% |
| TMO | 3.2% | – | 0.1% | -4.6% | 14.5% |
| IQV | 3.8% | – | 2.8% | 4.0% | 3.9% |
| FTRE | 1.9% | – | -5.1% | 0.2% | -7.2% |
| MEDP | 20.0% | 20.0% | 11.8% | 29.2% |
Operating Margin Comparison
| LTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRL | 8.8% | – | 10.9% | 14.9% | 16.4% |
| LH | 9.9% | – | 8.7% | 9.2% | 14.8% |
| TMO | 18.4% | – | 18.0% | 17.1% | 18.9% |
| IQV | 14.2% | – | 14.7% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| FTRE | -2.4% | – | -4.1% | 1.9% | 7.9% |
| MEDP | 21.1% | 21.1% | 21.2% | 17.9% |
PE Ratio Comparison
| LTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRL | -97.8 | – | 995.4 | 19.9 | 24.7 |
| LH | 28.2 | – | 28.2 | 47.8 | 16.2 |
| TMO | 30.3 | – | 34.9 | 33.5 | 29.9 |
| IQV | 23.5 | – | 29.8 | 26.6 | 39.8 |
| FTRE | -1.0 | – | -4.7 | -65.7 | 16.6 |
| MEDP | 26.6 | 35.9 | 25.4 | 33.3 |
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