EXEL vs. WST: Exelixis vs. West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Comparison
How do Exelixis (EXEL) 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
Exelixis (EXEL) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but EXEL is classified in Biotechnology while WST is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.
| Profile Item | EXEL | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Exelixis 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 | 16.98 billion USD | 27.85 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | April 17, 2000 | March 17, 1980 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 74.98% | 51.68% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 50.33% | 7.13% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 31.10% | 0.05% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 34.17% | 31.45% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.41 | 1.13 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -35.41% | -59.29% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.33M | 603.86K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 2.07 | 1.51 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 3.23 | 2.35 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 44.32% 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.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
44.32%
- Max
- 109.18%
- EXEL
- 44.32%
- 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%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 35.45% 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.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
35.45%
- EXEL
- 35.45%
- 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 Exelixis (EXEL) at 40.75% 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.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
40.75%
- Max
- 83.12%
- EXEL
- 40.75%
- 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 | EXEL | WST |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 44.32% | 21.23% |
| ROA (TTM) | 23.52% | 11.89% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 35.45% | 18.81% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 40.75% | 25.37% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 96.26% | 37.59% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 6.98% 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.
EPS Growth
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 57.95% 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 | EXEL | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 6.98% | 6.25% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 12.93% | 2.12% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 57.95% | 1.49% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 70.59% | -4.23% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 3.21 and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 2.82 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
3.21
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- EXEL
- 3.21
- Q1
- 2.47
- 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
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Exelixis (EXEL) at 0.09 and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 0.11 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.09
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- EXEL
- 0.09
- 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
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | EXEL | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 3.21 | 2.82 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.09 | 0.11 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -0.71 | -0.16 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Exelixis (EXEL) 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.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- EXEL
- 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)
Exelixis (EXEL) 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.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- EXEL
- 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 | EXEL | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.22% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 9.88% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Exelixis (EXEL) at 20.83 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.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
20.83
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- EXEL
- 20.83
- 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 Exelixis (EXEL) at 6.80 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.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
6.80
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- EXEL
- 6.80
- 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 Exelixis (EXEL) at 9.28 and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 9.40 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
9.28
- Max
- 13.53
- EXEL
- 9.28
- 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 | EXEL | WST |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 20.83 | 44.87 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 6.80 | 8.20 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 9.28 | 9.40 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 4.47% | 1.24% |