CRL vs. TECH: Charles River Laboratories vs. Bio-Techne Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Charles River Laboratories (CRL) and Bio-Techne (TECH) 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 Bio-Techne (TECH) 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.

Company profile comparison for Charles River Laboratories (CRL) and Bio-Techne (TECH)
Profile Item	CRL	TECH
Name	Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.	Bio-Techne Corp.
Country/Region	United States	United States
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	11.43 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	Nasdaq
Listing Date	June 23, 2000	February 9, 1989
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CRL

TECH

GSPC

Charles River Laboratories (CRL) vs. Bio-Techne (TECH), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

Loading price history…

Trailing total returns for Charles River Laboratories (CRL) and Bio-Techne (TECH). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

Loading price history…

Calendar-year total returns for Charles River Laboratories (CRL) and Bio-Techne (TECH). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Charles River Laboratories (CRL) and Bio-Techne (TECH)
Metric	CRL	TECH
Total Return (1Y)	110.83%	27.56%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	27.87%	9.11%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	-1.57%	-9.91%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CRL

TECH

GSPC

Charles River Laboratories (CRL) vs. Bio-Techne (TECH), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

Loading price history…

Distribution of monthly total returns for Charles River Laboratories (CRL) and Bio-Techne (TECH). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Charles River Laboratories (CRL) and Bio-Techne (TECH)
Metric	CRL	TECH
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	47.81%	43.08%
Beta (5Y)	1.33	1.26
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-74.73%	-65.87%
Avg. Volume (3M)	1.05M	2.81M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

CRL and TECH are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Charles River Laboratories (CRL) and Bio-Techne (TECH)
Metric	CRL	TECH
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	2.23	0.54
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	3.58	0.82

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Bio-Techne (TECH) at 8.33% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at 1.27% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for TECH.

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%

TECH

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

8.33%

Max: 109.18%
TECH: 8.33%
Q3: 6.23%
Median: -26.66%
Q1: -64.05%
Min: -167.77%

Charles River Laboratories (CRL) vs. Bio-Techne (TECH): A comparison of their ROE against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Bio-Techne (TECH) at 14.00% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at 1.01%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

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%

TECH

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

14.00%

Max: 18.05%
TECH: 14.00%
Q3: 4.78%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -4.14%
Min: -17.05%

Charles River Laboratories (CRL) vs. Bio-Techne (TECH): A comparison of their net margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at 23.42% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Bio-Techne (TECH) at 12.21%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

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%

TECH

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

12.21%

Max: 83.12%
Q3: 14.77%
TECH: 12.21%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -78.82%
Min: -207.40%

Charles River Laboratories (CRL) vs. Bio-Techne (TECH): A comparison of their operating margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Charles River Laboratories (CRL) and Bio-Techne (TECH)
Metric	CRL	TECH
ROE (TTM)	1.27%	8.33%
ROA (TTM)	4.74%	6.38%
Net Margin (TTM)	1.01%	14.00%
Operating Margin (TTM)	23.42%	12.21%
Gross Margin (TTM)	35.10%	66.23%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Bio-Techne (TECH) at -0.38% 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.

Charles River Laboratories (CRL) vs. Bio-Techne (TECH): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Bio-Techne (TECH) at 152.17% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at -1,555.00% falls below its industry range — a large difference in per-share earnings trajectories.

Charles River Laboratories (CRL) vs. Bio-Techne (TECH): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Charles River Laboratories (CRL) and Bio-Techne (TECH)
Metric	CRL	TECH
Revenue Growth (YoY)	-0.85%	-0.38%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	0.33%	2.25%
EPS Growth (YoY)	-1,555.00%	152.17%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	-12.97%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at 1.41 and Bio-Techne (TECH) at 2.28 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

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

TECH

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.28

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
Q1: 2.47
TECH: 2.28
Min: 0.10

Charles River Laboratories (CRL) vs. Bio-Techne (TECH): A comparison of their current ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Bio-Techne (TECH) at 0.13 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

TECH

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.13

Max: 1.42
Q3: 0.65
Median: 0.15
TECH: 0.13
Q1: 0.02
Min: 0.00

Charles River Laboratories (CRL) vs. Bio-Techne (TECH): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Charles River Laboratories (CRL) and Bio-Techne (TECH)
Metric	CRL	TECH
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.41	2.28
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.87	0.13
Net Debt / EBITDA	2.92	-0.20

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 Bio-Techne (TECH) reports a yield of 0.44%, 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%

TECH

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.44%

TECH: 0.44%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Charles River Laboratories (CRL) vs. Bio-Techne (TECH): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

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 Bio-Techne (TECH) reports a payout of 27.59%, 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%

TECH

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

27.59%

TECH: 27.59%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Charles River Laboratories (CRL) vs. Bio-Techne (TECH): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Charles River Laboratories (CRL) and Bio-Techne (TECH)
Metric	CRL	TECH
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.44%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	27.59%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both look expensive on trailing earnings: Bio-Techne (TECH) at 62.74 sits in the richer P/E ratio quartile, and Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at 366.87 is richer still, above its industry range.

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

TECH

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

62.74

Max: 85.34
TECH: 62.74
Q3: 43.46
Median: 26.69
Q1: 13.30
Min: 0.07

Charles River Laboratories (CRL) vs. Bio-Techne (TECH): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at 4.07 and Bio-Techne (TECH) at 9.31 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

TECH

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

9.31

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
TECH: 9.31
Median: 7.30
Q1: 3.01
Min: 0.01

Charles River Laboratories (CRL) vs. Bio-Techne (TECH): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

On P/B ratio, both Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at 5.01 and Bio-Techne (TECH) at 5.28 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

TECH

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

5.28

Max: 13.53
Q3: 6.54
TECH: 5.28
Median: 3.25
Q1: 1.69
Min: -5.59

Charles River Laboratories (CRL) vs. Bio-Techne (TECH): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Charles River Laboratories (CRL) and Bio-Techne (TECH)
Metric	CRL	TECH
P/E Ratio (TTM)	366.87	62.74
P/S Ratio (TTM)	4.07	9.31
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	5.01	5.28
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	2.74%	2.39%