AVTR vs. WST: Avantor vs. West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Avantor (AVTR) 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

Avantor (AVTR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) 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 Avantor (AVTR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Profile Item	AVTR	WST
Name	Avantor, 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	Life Sciences Tools & Services	Life Sciences Tools & Services
GICS Sub-Industry	Life Sciences Tools & Services	Life Sciences Tools & Services
Market Capitalization	10.48 billion USD	27.85 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	May 17, 2019	March 17, 1980
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

AVTR

WST

GSPC

Avantor (AVTR) 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 Avantor (AVTR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Avantor (AVTR) 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 Avantor (AVTR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	AVTR	WST
Total Return (1Y)	36.41%	51.68%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	-5.02%	7.13%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	-16.62%	0.05%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

AVTR

WST

GSPC

Avantor (AVTR) 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 Avantor (AVTR) 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 Avantor (AVTR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	AVTR	WST
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	43.39%	31.45%
Beta (5Y)	0.94	1.13
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-82.42%	-59.29%
Avg. Volume (3M)	8.56M	603.86K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

AVTR 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 Avantor (AVTR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	AVTR	WST
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.74	1.51
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	1.17	2.35

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 21.23% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Avantor (AVTR) at 5.91% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for WST.

AVTR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

5.91%

Max: 109.18%
Q3: 6.23%
AVTR: 5.91%
Median: -26.66%
Q1: -64.05%
Min: -167.77%

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%

Avantor (AVTR) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their ROE against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

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 Avantor (AVTR) at 5.08% also retains a top-quartile share.

AVTR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

5.08%

Max: 18.05%
AVTR: 5.08%
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%

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

Operating Margin (TTM)

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 25.37% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Avantor (AVTR) at 8.19%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

AVTR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

8.19%

Max: 83.12%
Q3: 14.77%
AVTR: 8.19%
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%

Avantor (AVTR) 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 Avantor (AVTR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	AVTR	WST
ROE (TTM)	5.91%	21.23%
ROA (TTM)	2.83%	11.89%
Net Margin (TTM)	5.08%	18.81%
Operating Margin (TTM)	8.19%	25.37%
Gross Margin (TTM)	31.59%	37.59%

Growth

Revenue Growth

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 6.25% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Avantor (AVTR) at -3.41% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

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

EPS Growth

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 1.49% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Avantor (AVTR) at -175.00% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.

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

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Avantor (AVTR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	AVTR	WST
Revenue Growth (YoY)	-3.41%	6.25%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	-4.46%	2.12%
EPS Growth (YoY)	-175.00%	1.49%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	-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 Avantor (AVTR) at 1.89 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for AVTR.

AVTR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.89

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
Q1: 2.47
AVTR: 1.89
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

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

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Avantor (AVTR) at 0.63 and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 0.11 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

AVTR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.63

Max: 1.42
Q3: 0.65
AVTR: 0.63
Median: 0.15
Q1: 0.02
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

Avantor (AVTR) vs. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Avantor (AVTR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	AVTR	WST
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.89	2.82
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.63	0.11
Net Debt / EBITDA	3.40	-0.16

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Avantor (AVTR) 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.

AVTR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

AVTR: 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%

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

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Avantor (AVTR) 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.

AVTR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

AVTR: 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%

Avantor (AVTR) 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 Avantor (AVTR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	AVTR	WST
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.22%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	9.88%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Avantor (AVTR) at 30.94 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.

AVTR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

30.94

Max: 85.34
Q3: 43.46
AVTR: 30.94
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

Avantor (AVTR) 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)

Avantor (AVTR) at 1.58 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 8.20 prices around its industry’s middle — AVTR costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.

AVTR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.58

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
Median: 7.30
Q1: 3.01
AVTR: 1.58
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

Avantor (AVTR) 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)

Avantor (AVTR) at 1.80 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 9.40 carries an above-peer premium to book — WST is pricier on assets.

AVTR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.80

Max: 13.53
Q3: 6.54
Median: 3.25
AVTR: 1.80
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

Avantor (AVTR) 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 Avantor (AVTR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	AVTR	WST
P/E Ratio (TTM)	30.94	44.87
P/S Ratio (TTM)	1.58	8.20
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	1.80	9.40
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	4.21%	1.24%