ICLR vs. WST: ICON vs. West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Comparison
How do ICON (ICLR) 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
ICON (ICLR) 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.
| Profile Item | ICLR | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Name | ICON plc | West Pharmaceutical Services Inc. |
| Country/Region | Ireland | 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 | 15.34 billion USD | 27.85 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | May 15, 1998 | March 17, 1980 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ICLR | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 30.55% | 51.68% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -6.05% | 7.13% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -5.40% | 0.05% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ICLR | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 68.62% | 31.45% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.17 | 1.13 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -76.87% | -59.29% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 943.50K | 603.86K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ICLR | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.38 | 1.51 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.52 | 2.35 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 21.23% sits in the top ROE quartile, while ICON (ICLR) at 4.70% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for WST.
ICLR
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
4.70%
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- ICLR
- 4.70%
- 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)
West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 18.81% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and ICON (ICLR) at 5.26% also retains a top-quartile share.
ICLR
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
5.26%
- Max
- 18.05%
- ICLR
- 5.26%
- 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)
West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 25.37% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of ICON (ICLR) at 10.73%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
ICLR
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
10.73%
- Max
- 83.12%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- ICLR
- 10.73%
- 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 | ICLR | WST |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 4.70% | 21.23% |
| ROA (TTM) | 0.85% | 11.89% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 5.26% | 18.81% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 10.73% | 25.37% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 23.44% | 37.59% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both ICON (ICLR) at 0.76% 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
West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 1.49% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while ICON (ICLR) at -71.56% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ICLR | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 0.76% | 6.25% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 2.15% | 2.12% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -71.56% | 1.49% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -23.82% | -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 ICON (ICLR) at 1.32 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for ICLR.
ICLR
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.32
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- ICLR
- 1.32
- 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 ICON (ICLR) at 0.38 and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 0.11 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
ICLR
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.38
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- ICLR
- 0.38
- 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 | ICLR | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.32 | 2.82 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.38 | 0.11 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 5.55 | -0.16 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
ICON (ICLR) 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.
ICLR
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ICLR
- 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)
ICON (ICLR) 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.
ICLR
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ICLR
- 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 | ICLR | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.22% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 9.88% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both ICON (ICLR) at 81.90 and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 44.87 sit in the richer earnings-multiple quartile for P/E ratio, so investors are paying more for TTM earnings than they pay for typical peers.
ICLR
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
81.90
- Max
- 85.34
- ICLR
- 81.90
- Q3
- 43.46
- 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)
ICON (ICLR) at 1.86 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 8.20 prices around its industry’s middle — ICLR costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.
ICLR
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.86
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- ICLR
- 1.86
- 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)
ICON (ICLR) at 1.68 looks cheap against book in the lower P/B ratio quartile, while West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 9.40 carries a premium in the upper quartile — a clear price-to-book gap.
ICLR
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.68
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- ICLR
- 1.68
- 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 | ICLR | WST |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 81.90 | 44.87 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 1.86 | 8.20 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.68 | 9.40 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 3.51% | 1.24% |