ABBV vs. WST: AbbVie vs. West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do AbbVie (ABBV) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) 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

AbbVie (ABBV) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but ABBV is classified in Biotechnology while WST is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.

Company profile comparison for AbbVie (ABBV) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Profile Item	ABBV	WST
Name	AbbVie Inc.	West Pharmaceutical Services Inc.
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	Biotechnology	Life Sciences Tools & Services
GICS Sub-Industry	Biotechnology	Life Sciences Tools & Services
Market Capitalization	514.92 billion USD	27.85 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	January 2, 2013	March 17, 1980
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ABBV

WST

GSPC

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST), 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

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Trailing total returns for AbbVie (ABBV) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for AbbVie (ABBV) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	ABBV	WST
Total Return (1Y)	37.33%	51.68%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	32.74%	7.13%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	24.73%	0.05%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ABBV

WST

GSPC

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST), 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

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Distribution of monthly total returns for AbbVie (ABBV) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	ABBV	WST
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	25.65%	31.45%
Beta (5Y)	0.21	1.13
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-21.92%	-59.29%
Avg. Volume (3M)	4.76M	603.86K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

ABBV and WST 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 AbbVie (ABBV) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	ABBV	WST
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	1.29	1.51
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	2.02	2.35

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) earns 21.23% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; AbbVie (ABBV) has no ROE this period.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

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

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

21.23%

Max: 109.18%
WST: 21.23%
Q3: 6.23%
Median: -26.66%
Q1: -64.05%
Min: -167.77%

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): ABBV does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; WST is benchmarked against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 18.81% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and AbbVie (ABBV) at 15.67% also retains a top-quartile share.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

15.67%

Max: 18.05%
ABBV: 15.67%
Q3: 4.78%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -4.14%
Min: -17.05%

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

18.81%

WST: 18.81%
Max: 18.05%
Q3: 4.78%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -4.14%
Min: -17.05%

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their net margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both AbbVie (ABBV) at 39.59% and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 25.37% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

39.59%

Max: 83.12%
ABBV: 39.59%
Q3: 14.77%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -78.82%
Min: -207.40%

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

25.37%

Max: 83.12%
WST: 25.37%
Q3: 14.77%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -78.82%
Min: -207.40%

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their operating margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	ABBV	WST
ROE (TTM)	--	21.23%
ROA (TTM)	10.74%	11.89%
Net Margin (TTM)	15.67%	18.81%
Operating Margin (TTM)	39.59%	25.37%
Gross Margin (TTM)	73.72%	37.59%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both AbbVie (ABBV) at 8.57% and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 6.25% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both AbbVie (ABBV) at -0.84% and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 1.49% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	ABBV	WST
Revenue Growth (YoY)	8.57%	6.25%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	1.75%	2.12%
EPS Growth (YoY)	-0.84%	1.49%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	-29.03%	-4.23%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 2.82 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while AbbVie (ABBV) at 0.87 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for ABBV.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.87

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
Q1: 2.47
ABBV: 0.87
Min: 0.10

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.82

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
WST: 2.82
Q1: 2.47
Min: 0.10

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their current ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Only one side’s leverage can be read here: West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11 against its industry range, while AbbVie (ABBV) reports no figure this period.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

Max: 1.42
Q3: 0.65
Median: 0.15
Q1: 0.02
Min: 0.00
ABBV: --

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.11

Max: 1.42
Q3: 0.65
Median: 0.15
WST: 0.11
Q1: 0.02
Min: 0.00

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): ABBV does not report debt-to-equity ratio, so it has no value marker; WST is benchmarked against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	ABBV	WST
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.87	2.82
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	--	0.11
Net Debt / EBITDA	2.21	-0.16

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both AbbVie (ABBV) at 2.40% and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 0.22% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.40%

ABBV: 2.40%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.22%

WST: 0.22%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

AbbVie (ABBV) reports payout ratio above 100% at 117.35%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings and sustainability needs extra context. Meanwhile West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) reports 9.88%, ranking against industry peers normally.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

117.35%

ABBV: 117.35%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

9.88%

WST: 9.88%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	ABBV	WST
Dividend Yield (TTM)	2.40%	0.22%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	117.35%	9.88%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both AbbVie (ABBV) at 50.05 and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 44.87 sit in the richer earnings-multiple quartile for P/E ratio, so investors are paying more for TTM earnings than they pay for typical peers.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

50.05

Max: 85.34
ABBV: 50.05
Q3: 43.46
Median: 26.69
Q1: 13.30
Min: 0.07

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

44.87

Max: 85.34
WST: 44.87
Q3: 43.46
Median: 26.69
Q1: 13.30
Min: 0.07

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): 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 AbbVie (ABBV) at 7.80 and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 8.20 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

7.80

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
ABBV: 7.80
Median: 7.30
Q1: 3.01
Min: 0.01

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

8.20

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
WST: 8.20
Median: 7.30
Q1: 3.01
Min: 0.01

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

AbbVie (ABBV) reports a negative P/B ratio of -112.34, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) reports 9.40, ranking against industry peers normally.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

-112.34

Max: 13.53
Q3: 6.54
Median: 3.25
Q1: 1.69
Min: -5.59
ABBV: -112.34

WST

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

9.40

Max: 13.53
WST: 9.40
Q3: 6.54
Median: 3.25
Q1: 1.69
Min: -5.59

AbbVie (ABBV) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	ABBV	WST
P/E Ratio (TTM)	50.05	44.87
P/S Ratio (TTM)	7.80	8.20
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	-112.34	9.40
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	3.44%	1.24%