GILD vs. WST: Gilead Sciences vs. West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Comparison
How do Gilead Sciences (GILD) 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
Gilead Sciences (GILD) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but GILD is classified in Biotechnology while WST is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.
| Profile Item | GILD | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Gilead Sciences 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 | 207.00 billion USD | 27.85 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | January 22, 1992 | March 17, 1980 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | GILD | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 45.69% | 51.68% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 35.30% | 7.13% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 25.00% | 0.05% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | GILD | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 27.57% | 31.45% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.36 | 1.13 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -26.59% | -59.29% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 5.98M | 603.86K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | GILD | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.50 | 1.51 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 2.48 | 2.35 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Gilead Sciences (GILD) reports a negative ROE of -22.45%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) reports 21.23%, ranking against industry peers normally.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-22.45%
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- GILD
- -22.45%
- 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)
Gilead Sciences (GILD) reports a negative net margin of -12.46%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) reports 18.81%, ranking against industry peers normally.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-12.46%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- GILD
- -12.46%
- 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 Gilead Sciences (GILD) at 42.43% 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.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
42.43%
- Max
- 83.12%
- GILD
- 42.43%
- 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 | GILD | WST |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -22.45% | 21.23% |
| ROA (TTM) | 13.47% | 11.89% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | -12.46% | 18.81% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 42.43% | 25.37% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 79.95% | 37.59% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Gilead Sciences (GILD) at 2.39% 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
Gilead Sciences (GILD) at 1,684.21% clears its industry range for EPS growth, a much stronger earnings trajectory than West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 1.49%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | GILD | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 2.39% | 6.25% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 2.57% | 2.12% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 1,684.21% | 1.49% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 23.04% | -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 Gilead Sciences (GILD) at 1.38 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for GILD.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.38
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- GILD
- 1.38
- 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)
West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 0.11 is near its industry mid-range for debt-to-equity ratio, while Gilead Sciences (GILD) at 2.02 sits above its benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.02
- GILD
- 2.02
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- 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
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | GILD | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.38 | 2.82 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 2.02 | 0.11 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.25 | -0.16 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Gilead Sciences (GILD) at 1.94% 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.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.94%
- GILD
- 1.94%
- 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)
Both Gilead Sciences (GILD) at 43.46% 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.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
43.46%
- GILD
- 43.46%
- 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 | GILD | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.94% | 0.22% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 43.46% | 9.88% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) trades at 44.87 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Gilead Sciences (GILD) has no P/E ratio this period.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
- GILD
- --
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 Gilead Sciences (GILD) at 6.68 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.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
6.68
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- GILD
- 6.68
- 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 Gilead Sciences (GILD) at 15.88 prices even higher, above its industry range.
GILD
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
15.88
- GILD
- 15.88
- 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 | GILD | WST |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | -- | 44.87 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 6.68 | 8.20 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 15.88 | 9.40 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 5.16% | 1.24% |