Charles River Laboratories International (CRL) vs ICON (ICLR)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 9, 2026.
Summary
Charles River Laboratories International (CRL) has outperformed ICON (ICLR) over the past year, gaining 71.8% versus a loss of 11.8%. Over five years, CRL leads with a -26.2% price change compared with -40.2% for ICLR. Charles River Laboratories International is the larger company by market cap ($14.35 billion vs $12.69 billion), about 1.1 times the size, while ICON is growing revenue faster (+0.8% vs -0.9%).
On valuation, ICON trades at a lower forward P/E (13.9x vs 23.3x for Charles River Laboratories International). ICON converts more of its revenue into profit, with a net margin of 2.8% versus -3.6%.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | CRL | ICLR |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $298.00 | $164.50 |
| Market cap | $14.35B | $12.69B |
| 1-day change | -0.77% | +0.26% |
| YTD return | +49.39% | -9.72% |
| 1-year return | +71.79% | -11.79% |
| 5-year return | -26.15% | -40.19% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | — | 173.16 |
| Forward P/E | 23.33 | 13.93 |
| EPS (TTM) | $-4.76 | $0.95 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $4.02B | $8.25B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -0.85% | +0.76% |
| Net income (latest FY) | $-144.34M | $229.34M |
| Gross margin | — | 26.37% |
| Operating margin | 0.63% | 5.37% |
| Net margin | -3.59% | 2.78% |
| 52-week high | $333.30 | $203.91 |
| 52-week low | $146.20 | $66.57 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -10.59% | -19.33% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +2.35% | +12.10% |
| Average volume | 956.13K | 822.57K |
| Shares outstanding | 48.17M | 77.15M |
| Employees | 18,300 | 40,200 |
| Sector | Health Care | Healthcare |
| Industry | Biotechnology: Commercial Physical & Biological Resarch | Diagnostics & Research |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- CRL has outperformed ICLR by 83.6 percentage points over the past year.
- ICON is more profitable, keeping 2.8 cents of every revenue dollar as net income versus -3.6 cents for Charles River Laboratories International.
- The two companies sit in different sectors: Charles River Laboratories International in Health Care and ICON in Healthcare.
About Charles River Laboratories International
CRL stock →Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. provides drug discovery, non-clinical development, and safety testing services in the United States, Europe, Canada, the Asia Pacific, and internationally.
Health Care · Biotechnology: Commercial Physical & Biological Resarch · 18,300 employees
About ICON
ICLR stock →ICON Public Limited Company, a clinical research organization, provides outsourced development and commercialization services in Ireland, Europe, the United States, and internationally. The company specializes in the strategic development, management, and analysis of programs that support various stages of the clinical development process from compound selection to Phase I-IV clinical studies.
Healthcare · Diagnostics & Research · 40,200 employees
CRL vs ICLR FAQ
Which is bigger, Charles River Laboratories International or ICON?
Charles River Laboratories International (CRL) is larger, with a market capitalization of $14.35B compared with $12.69B for ICON (ICLR).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, CRL or ICLR?
CRL returned +71.79% over the past 12 months, compared with -11.79% for ICLR (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Are Charles River Laboratories International and ICON in the same industry?
No. Charles River Laboratories International is in the Health Care sector, while ICON is in Healthcare.