Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL – Get Free Report) and Mesa Laboratories (NASDAQ:MLAB – Get Free Report) are both healthcare companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, earnings and valuation.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares Charles River Laboratories International and Mesa Laboratories”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Charles River Laboratories International | $4.02 billion | 4.12 | -$144.34 million | $0.91 | 380.54 |
| Mesa Laboratories | $249.13 million | 3.08 | $6.71 million | $0.84 | 162.99 |
Mesa Laboratories has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Charles River Laboratories International. Mesa Laboratories is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Charles River Laboratories International, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Profitability
This table compares Charles River Laboratories International and Mesa Laboratories’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Charles River Laboratories International | 1.01% | 16.95% | 6.93% |
| Mesa Laboratories | 1.92% | 22.72% | 9.82% |
Insider & Institutional Ownership
98.9% of Charles River Laboratories International shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 90.6% of Mesa Laboratories shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.3% of Charles River Laboratories International shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 2.8% of Mesa Laboratories shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of recent ratings for Charles River Laboratories International and Mesa Laboratories, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Charles River Laboratories International | 1 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 2.71 |
| Mesa Laboratories | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2.25 |
Charles River Laboratories International presently has a consensus target price of $308.17, suggesting a potential downside of 11.01%. Mesa Laboratories has a consensus target price of $130.00, suggesting a potential downside of 5.05%. Given Mesa Laboratories’ higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Mesa Laboratories is more favorable than Charles River Laboratories International.
Risk & Volatility
Charles River Laboratories International has a beta of 1.36, suggesting that its share price is 36% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Mesa Laboratories has a beta of 1.08, suggesting that its share price is 8% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Charles River Laboratories International beats Mesa Laboratories on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Charles River Laboratories International
Charles River Laboratories International is a contract research organization that supports pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as academic and government researchers, in developing medicines and advancing scientific research. Its services span the drug development process, from early discovery and preclinical research to manufacturing support. The company’s offerings include research models and related services, drug discovery and safety assessment, and manufacturing solutions. These may include laboratory animal models, laboratory testing, bioanalysis, and support for the production of products used in the development of pharmaceuticals and biologics.
About Mesa Laboratories
Mesa Laboratories, Inc. develops and manufactures products used for quality control, monitoring, and measurement in healthcare, pharmaceutical, industrial, and other regulated applications. The company’s offerings are designed to help customers verify the performance of processes, equipment, and environmental conditions. Mesa Laboratories’ product portfolio includes sterilization assurance products, such as biological indicators and related monitoring systems, as well as instruments and consumables used in healthcare and laboratory settings.
Receive News & Ratings for Charles River Laboratories International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Charles River Laboratories International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
