Mesa Laboratories (NASDAQ:MLAB – Get Free Report) and Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL – Get Free Report) are both healthcare companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, risk, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations and dividends.
Profitability
This table compares Mesa Laboratories and Charles River Laboratories International’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Mesa Laboratories | 2.65% | 22.77% | 10.19% |
| Charles River Laboratories International | 1.01% | 16.95% | 6.93% |
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares Mesa Laboratories and Charles River Laboratories International”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Mesa Laboratories | $251.32 million | 3.11 | $6.71 million | $1.14 | 121.94 |
| Charles River Laboratories International | $4.02 billion | 4.04 | -$144.34 million | $0.91 | 371.73 |
Mesa Laboratories has higher earnings, but lower revenue 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.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
90.6% of Mesa Laboratories shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 98.9% of Charles River Laboratories International shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.8% of Mesa Laboratories shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.3% of Charles River Laboratories International shares are owned by company 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 breakdown of recent ratings for Mesa Laboratories and Charles River Laboratories International, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Mesa Laboratories | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2.25 |
| Charles River Laboratories International | 1 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 2.71 |
Mesa Laboratories currently has a consensus target price of $130.00, indicating a potential downside of 6.48%. Charles River Laboratories International has a consensus target price of $311.67, indicating a potential downside of 7.86%. Given Mesa Laboratories’ higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Mesa Laboratories is more favorable than Charles River Laboratories International.
Volatility & Risk
Mesa Laboratories has a beta of 1.08, indicating that its share price is 8% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Charles River Laboratories International has a beta of 1.36, indicating that its share price is 36% more volatile than the S&P 500.
About Mesa Laboratories
Mesa Laboratories, Inc. develops and manufactures instruments and consumable products used to monitor and control quality in life sciences and other regulated industries. Its offerings support activities such as sterilization and disinfection monitoring, laboratory testing, biopharmaceutical development, and equipment calibration. The company’s products include biological and chemical indicators, data loggers, calibration instruments, and tools used in clinical genomics and bioprocessing. Customers use these products to help verify processes, measure conditions, and meet quality requirements.
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.
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