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 contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability and dividends.
Insider & 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 hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Mesa Laboratories and Charles River Laboratories International”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Mesa Laboratories | $249.13 million | 3.08 | $6.71 million | $0.84 | 162.99 |
| Charles River Laboratories International | $4.02 billion | 4.12 | -$144.34 million | $0.91 | 380.54 |
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.
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 | 1.92% | 22.72% | 9.82% |
| Charles River Laboratories International | 1.01% | 16.95% | 6.93% |
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets 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 presently has a consensus target price of $130.00, indicating a potential downside of 5.05%. Charles River Laboratories International has a consensus target price of $308.17, indicating a potential downside of 11.01%. Given Mesa Laboratories’ higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Mesa Laboratories is more favorable than Charles River Laboratories International.
Risk & Volatility
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.
Summary
Charles River Laboratories International beats Mesa Laboratories on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
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.
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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