CRL vs. QGEN: Charles River Laboratories vs. Qiagen Stock Comparison
How do Charles River Laboratories (CRL) and Qiagen (QGEN) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) and Qiagen (QGEN) are both classified in the Life Sciences Tools & Services sub-industry within the broader Life Sciences Tools & Services industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | CRL | QGEN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. | Qiagen N.V. |
| Country/Region | United States | Netherlands |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences |
| GICS Industry | Life Sciences Tools & Services | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Life Sciences Tools & Services | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| Market Capitalization | 16.17 billion USD | 10.39 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | June 23, 2000 | June 28, 1996 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CRL | QGEN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 110.83% | 17.09% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 27.87% | 10.44% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -1.57% | -0.72% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) has an aggressive beta of 1.33, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Qiagen (QGEN) is defensive at 0.56 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | CRL | QGEN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 47.81% | 35.52% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.33 | 0.56 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -74.73% | -41.97% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 1.05M | 3.68M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CRL | QGEN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 2.23 | 0.36 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 3.58 | 0.60 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Qiagen (QGEN) at 10.81% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at 1.27% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for QGEN.
CRL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.27%
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- CRL
- 1.27%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
QGEN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
10.81%
- Max
- 109.18%
- QGEN
- 10.81%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
Net Margin (TTM)
Qiagen (QGEN) at 18.20% converts revenue to bottom-line profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at 1.01% keeps roughly the typical share for its industry.
CRL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.01%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- CRL
- 1.01%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
QGEN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
18.20%
- QGEN
- 18.20%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at 23.42% and Qiagen (QGEN) at 27.75% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
CRL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
23.42%
- Max
- 83.12%
- CRL
- 23.42%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
QGEN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
27.75%
- Max
- 83.12%
- QGEN
- 27.75%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CRL | QGEN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 1.27% | 10.81% |
| ROA (TTM) | 4.74% | 5.68% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 1.01% | 18.20% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 23.42% | 27.75% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 35.10% | 67.06% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Qiagen (QGEN) at 5.65% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at -0.85% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.
EPS Growth
Qiagen (QGEN) at 409.76% sits above its peer range for EPS growth; Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at -1,555.00% sits below its range, putting their earnings trajectories at opposite ends.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CRL | QGEN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -0.85% | 5.65% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 0.33% | -0.81% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -1,555.00% | 409.76% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -0.19% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Qiagen (QGEN) at 2.63 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at 1.41 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for CRL.
CRL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.41
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- CRL
- 1.41
- Min
- 0.10
QGEN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.63
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- QGEN
- 2.63
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Qiagen (QGEN) at 0.47 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at 0.87 uses more debt funding than most peers.
CRL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.87
- Max
- 1.42
- CRL
- 0.87
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
QGEN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.47
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- QGEN
- 0.47
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CRL | QGEN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.41 | 2.63 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.87 | 0.47 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 2.92 | 1.08 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Qiagen (QGEN) reports a yield of 0.71%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CRL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- CRL
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
QGEN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.71%
- QGEN
- 0.71%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Qiagen (QGEN) reports a payout of 18.21%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CRL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- CRL
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
QGEN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
18.21%
- QGEN
- 18.21%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CRL | QGEN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.71% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 18.21% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Qiagen (QGEN) at 27.21 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at 366.87 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for CRL’s trailing earnings.
CRL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
366.87
- CRL
- 366.87
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
QGEN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
27.21
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- QGEN
- 27.21
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at 4.07 and Qiagen (QGEN) at 4.91 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
CRL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
4.07
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- CRL
- 4.07
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
QGEN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
4.91
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- QGEN
- 4.91
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
On P/B ratio, both Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at 5.01 and Qiagen (QGEN) at 2.99 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.
CRL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
5.01
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- CRL
- 5.01
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
QGEN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.99
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- QGEN
- 2.99
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CRL | QGEN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 366.87 | 27.21 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 4.07 | 4.91 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 5.01 | 2.99 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 2.74% | 3.62% |