Charles River Laboratories vs Illumina
Charles River Laboratories and Illumina are similar in size: $4.02bn and $4.34bn of revenue in their latest fiscal years. Illumina grew faster (-0.7% against -0.9%). Illumina kept more of each dollar of sales as profit: a net margin of 19.6% against -3.6%. Charles River Laboratories carries less debt relative to equity (67.6% against 73.0%).
| Latest fiscal year | Charles River LaboratoriesCRL, 2025 | IlluminaILMN, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $4.02bn | $4.34bn |
| Revenue growth | -0.9% | -0.7% |
| Net income | −$144m | $850m |
| Operating margin | 0.6% | 18.6% |
| Net margin | -3.6% | 19.6% |
| Return on equity | -4.4% | 33.4% |
| Free cash flow | $518m | $931m |
| Cash | $214m | $1.42bn |
| Total debt | $2.14bn | $1.99bn |
| Debt to equity | 67.6% | 73.0% |
| Dividend per share | — | — |
| Dividend yield | — | — |
| Share buybacks | $361m | $742m |
| Employees | 19,700 | 8,600 |
| Market value | $16.81bn | $36.51bn |
| Price vs our value range | Above our value range | Above our value range |
| Moat score | 60 (Moderate) | 70 (Strong) |
| Insider trades, 12 months | 2 buys, 21 sales | 2 buys, 113 sales |