DHR vs. WST: Danaher vs. West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Danaher (DHR) 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

Danaher (DHR) 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 Danaher (DHR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Profile Item	DHR	WST
Name	Danaher Corp.	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	161.86 billion USD	27.85 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	December 29, 1978	March 17, 1980
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

DHR

WST

GSPC

Danaher (DHR) 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 Danaher (DHR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Danaher (DHR) 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 Danaher (DHR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	DHR	WST
Total Return (1Y)	11.88%	51.68%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	6.67%	7.13%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	-2.05%	0.05%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

DHR

WST

GSPC

Danaher (DHR) 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 Danaher (DHR) 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 Danaher (DHR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	DHR	WST
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	30.61%	31.45%
Beta (5Y)	0.76	1.13
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-43.31%	-59.29%
Avg. Volume (3M)	3.94M	603.86K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

DHR 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 Danaher (DHR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	DHR	WST
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.25	1.51
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.35	2.35

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Danaher (DHR) at 8.19% and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 21.23% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

8.19%

Max: 109.18%
DHR: 8.19%
Q3: 6.23%
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%

Danaher (DHR) 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 Danaher (DHR) at 16.91% also retains a top-quartile share.

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

16.91%

Max: 18.05%
DHR: 16.91%
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%

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

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Danaher (DHR) at 21.13% 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.

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

21.13%

Max: 83.12%
DHR: 21.13%
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%

Danaher (DHR) 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 Danaher (DHR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	DHR	WST
ROE (TTM)	8.19%	21.23%
ROA (TTM)	4.06%	11.89%
Net Margin (TTM)	16.91%	18.81%
Operating Margin (TTM)	21.13%	25.37%
Gross Margin (TTM)	59.36%	37.59%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Danaher (DHR) at 2.90% 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.

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

EPS Growth

Both Danaher (DHR) at -4.54% 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.

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

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Danaher (DHR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	DHR	WST
Revenue Growth (YoY)	2.90%	6.25%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	-2.67%	2.12%
EPS Growth (YoY)	-4.54%	1.49%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	-19.44%	-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 Danaher (DHR) at 1.63 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for DHR.

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.63

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
Q1: 2.47
DHR: 1.63
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

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

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Danaher (DHR) at 0.52 and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 0.11 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.52

Max: 1.42
Q3: 0.65
DHR: 0.52
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

Danaher (DHR) 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 Danaher (DHR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	DHR	WST
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.63	2.82
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.52	0.11
Net Debt / EBITDA	2.68	-0.16

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Danaher (DHR) at 0.67% 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.

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.67%

DHR: 0.67%
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%

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

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Danaher (DHR) at 25.17% and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 9.88% pay out more of their earnings than any of their industry peers — the thinnest cover in their groups, so dividend headroom deserves attention.

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

25.17%

DHR: 25.17%
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%

Danaher (DHR) 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 Danaher (DHR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	DHR	WST
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.67%	0.22%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	25.17%	9.88%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Danaher (DHR) at 38.12 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.

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

38.12

Max: 85.34
Q3: 43.46
DHR: 38.12
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

Danaher (DHR) 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 Danaher (DHR) at 6.32 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.

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

6.32

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
Median: 7.30
DHR: 6.32
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

Danaher (DHR) 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)

Danaher (DHR) at 3.02 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.

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

3.02

Max: 13.53
Q3: 6.54
Median: 3.25
DHR: 3.02
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

Danaher (DHR) 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 Danaher (DHR) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Metric	DHR	WST
P/E Ratio (TTM)	38.12	44.87
P/S Ratio (TTM)	6.32	8.20
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	3.02	9.40
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	2.93%	1.24%