ARGX vs. WST: argenx vs. West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Comparison
How do argenx (ARGX) 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
argenx (ARGX) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but ARGX is classified in Biotechnology while WST is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.
West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) trades as ordinary local shares, while argenx (ARGX) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | ARGX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Name | argenx SE American Depositary Receipt | West Pharmaceutical Services Inc. |
| Country/Region | Netherlands | 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 | 58.31 billion USD | 27.85 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | May 18, 2017 | March 17, 1980 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 11.91% | 51.68% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 25.68% | 7.13% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 24.22% | 0.05% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 37.87% | 31.45% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.45 | 1.13 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -38.20% | -59.29% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 359.84K | 603.86K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.20 | 1.51 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.31 | 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; argenx (ARGX) has no ROE this period.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
- ARGX
- --
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%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both argenx (ARGX) at 31.73% and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 18.81% keep an unusually large share of revenue as bottom-line profit — each net margin clears its industry’s benchmark range.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
31.73%
- ARGX
- 31.73%
- Max
- 18.05%
- 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%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both argenx (ARGX) at 36.27% 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.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
36.27%
- Max
- 83.12%
- ARGX
- 36.27%
- 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%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -- | 21.23% |
| ROA (TTM) | -- | 11.89% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 31.73% | 18.81% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 36.27% | 25.37% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 59.84% | 37.59% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
argenx (ARGX) at 89.64% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 6.25% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for ARGX.
EPS Growth
Both argenx (ARGX) at 53.13% 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.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 89.64% | 6.25% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 116.25% | 2.12% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 53.13% | 1.49% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -4.23% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) shows current ratio of 2.82 against its industry benchmark, while argenx (ARGX) has no reading this period.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
- ARGX
- --
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
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
argenx (ARGX) at 0.01 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 0.11 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.01
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- ARGX
- 0.01
- Min
- 0.00
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
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | 2.82 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.01 | 0.11 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -2.70 | -0.16 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
argenx (ARGX) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) reports a yield of 0.22%, ranking against industry peers normally.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ARGX
- 0.00%
- 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%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
argenx (ARGX) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) reports a payout of 9.88%, ranking against industry peers normally.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ARGX
- 0.00%
- 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%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.22% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 9.88% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
argenx (ARGX) at 32.12 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 44.87 sits in the richer quartile — WST needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
32.12
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- ARGX
- 32.12
- 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
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both argenx (ARGX) at 9.86 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.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
9.86
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- ARGX
- 9.86
- 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
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both look rich against book: West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 9.40 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and argenx (ARGX) at 172.23 prices even higher, above its industry range.
ARGX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
172.23
- ARGX
- 172.23
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
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
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ARGX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 32.12 | 44.87 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 9.86 | 8.20 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 172.23 | 9.40 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | 1.24% |