PCVX vs. WST: Vaxcyte vs. West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Comparison
How do Vaxcyte (PCVX) 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
Vaxcyte (PCVX) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but PCVX is classified in Biotechnology while WST is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.
West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) has more than two decades of public-market history since March 17, 1980, whereas Vaxcyte (PCVX) listed on June 12, 2020 and has a much shorter record to draw on.
| Profile Item | PCVX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Vaxcyte 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 | 10.11 billion USD | 27.85 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | June 12, 2020 | March 17, 1980 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | PCVX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 59.00% | 51.68% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 11.29% | 7.13% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 21.60% | 0.05% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | PCVX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 56.01% | 31.45% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.26 | 1.13 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -76.22% | -59.29% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.12M | 603.86K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | PCVX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.98 | 1.51 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.76 | 2.35 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Vaxcyte (PCVX) reports a negative ROE of -42.68%; 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.
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-42.68%
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- PCVX
- -42.68%
- 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% converts revenue to bottom-line profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while Vaxcyte (PCVX) at 0.00% keeps roughly the typical share for its industry.
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- PCVX
- 0.00%
- 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 Vaxcyte (PCVX) at 0.00%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 83.12%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- PCVX
- 0.00%
- 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 | PCVX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -42.68% | 21.23% |
| ROA (TTM) | -24.98% | 11.89% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 0.00% | 18.81% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 0.00% | 25.37% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 0.00% | 37.59% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Only one side can be read here: West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) reports revenue growth of 6.25%, ranked against its industry; Vaxcyte (PCVX) has no revenue growth figure this period.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) reports EPS growth of 1.49%, ranked against its industry; Vaxcyte (PCVX) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | PCVX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -- | 6.25% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 2.12% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | 1.49% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -4.23% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Vaxcyte (PCVX) at 4.56 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.
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
4.56
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- PCVX
- 4.56
- 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 Vaxcyte (PCVX) at 0.09 and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 0.11 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.09
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- PCVX
- 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 | PCVX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 4.56 | 2.82 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.09 | 0.11 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -0.16 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Vaxcyte (PCVX) 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.
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- PCVX
- 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)
Vaxcyte (PCVX) 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.
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- PCVX
- 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 | PCVX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.22% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 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 Vaxcyte (PCVX) has no P/E ratio this period.
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
- PCVX
- --
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)
A sales-based read is only available for West Pharmaceutical Services (WST), whose P/S ratio of 8.20 ranks against industry peers; Vaxcyte (PCVX) reports no figure this period.
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
- PCVX
- --
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)
Vaxcyte (PCVX) at 3.83 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.
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
3.83
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- PCVX
- 3.83
- 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 | PCVX | WST |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | -- | 44.87 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | -- | 8.20 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 3.83 | 9.40 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -5.24% | 1.24% |