ILMN vs. WST: Illumina vs. West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Comparison
How do Illumina (ILMN) 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
Illumina (ILMN) 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 | ILMN | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Illumina 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 | 32.23 billion USD | 27.85 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | July 28, 2000 | March 17, 1980 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ILMN | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 79.70% | 51.68% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 28.16% | 7.13% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -10.65% | 0.05% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ILMN | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 48.47% | 31.45% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.46 | 1.13 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -82.95% | -59.29% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.77M | 603.86K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ILMN | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.56 | 1.51 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 2.25 | 2.35 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Illumina (ILMN) at 32.39% 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.
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
32.39%
- Max
- 109.18%
- ILMN
- 32.39%
- 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 Illumina (ILMN) at 19.72% 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.
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
19.72%
- ILMN
- 19.72%
- 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 Illumina (ILMN) at 20.02% 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.
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
20.02%
- Max
- 83.12%
- ILMN
- 20.02%
- 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 | ILMN | WST |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 32.39% | 21.23% |
| ROA (TTM) | 8.32% | 11.89% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 19.72% | 18.81% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 20.02% | 25.37% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 67.68% | 37.59% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 6.25% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Illumina (ILMN) at -0.66% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) reports EPS growth of 1.49%, ranked against its industry; Illumina (ILMN) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ILMN | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -0.66% | 6.25% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -1.78% | 2.12% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | 1.49% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -4.23% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Illumina (ILMN) at 2.63 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.
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.63
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- ILMN
- 2.63
- 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)
West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 0.11 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Illumina (ILMN) at 0.74 uses more debt funding than most peers.
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.74
- Max
- 1.42
- ILMN
- 0.74
- 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 | ILMN | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.63 | 2.82 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.74 | 0.11 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.85 | -0.16 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Illumina (ILMN) 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.
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ILMN
- 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)
Illumina (ILMN) 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.
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ILMN
- 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 | ILMN | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.22% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 9.88% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Illumina (ILMN) at 36.68 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.
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
36.68
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- ILMN
- 36.68
- 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)
On P/S ratio, both Illumina (ILMN) at 7.10 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.
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
7.10
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- ILMN
- 7.10
- 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 Illumina (ILMN) at 10.30 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.
ILMN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
10.30
- Max
- 13.53
- ILMN
- 10.30
- 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 | ILMN | WST |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 36.68 | 44.87 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 7.10 | 8.20 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 10.30 | 9.40 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 2.67% | 1.24% |