WST vs. ZTS: West Pharmaceutical Services vs. Zoetis Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) and Zoetis (ZTS) 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

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) and Zoetis (ZTS) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but WST is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services while ZTS is classified in Pharmaceuticals.

Company profile comparison for West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) and Zoetis (ZTS)
Profile Item	WST	ZTS
Name	West Pharmaceutical Services Inc.	Zoetis Inc. Class A Common Stock
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	Pharmaceuticals
GICS Sub-Industry	Life Sciences Tools & Services	Pharmaceuticals
Market Capitalization	27.85 billion USD	32.26 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	March 17, 1980	February 1, 2013
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

WST

ZTS

GSPC

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) vs. Zoetis (ZTS), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) and Zoetis (ZTS). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) and Zoetis (ZTS). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) and Zoetis (ZTS)
Metric	WST	ZTS
Total Return (1Y)	51.68%	-30.10%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	7.13%	-20.42%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	0.05%	-16.87%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

WST

ZTS

GSPC

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) vs. Zoetis (ZTS), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) and Zoetis (ZTS). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) and Zoetis (ZTS)
Metric	WST	ZTS
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	31.45%	38.23%
Beta (5Y)	1.13	0.66
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-59.29%	-70.45%
Avg. Volume (3M)	603.86K	4.65M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

WST and ZTS are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) and Zoetis (ZTS)
Metric	WST	ZTS
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	1.51	-0.90
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	2.35	-1.10

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 21.23% and Zoetis (ZTS) at 57.63% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.

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%

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

57.63%

Max: 109.18%
ZTS: 57.63%
Q3: 6.23%
Median: -26.66%
Q1: -64.05%
Min: -167.77%

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): A comparison of their ROE against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 18.81% and Zoetis (ZTS) at 26.41% keep an unusually large share of revenue as bottom-line profit — each net margin clears its industry’s benchmark range.

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%

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

26.41%

ZTS: 26.41%
Max: 18.05%
Q3: 4.78%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -4.14%
Min: -17.05%

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): A comparison of their net margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 25.37% and Zoetis (ZTS) at 38.19% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

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%

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

38.19%

Max: 83.12%
ZTS: 38.19%
Q3: 14.77%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -78.82%
Min: -207.40%

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): A comparison of their operating margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) and Zoetis (ZTS)
Metric	WST	ZTS
ROE (TTM)	21.23%	57.63%
ROA (TTM)	11.89%	14.87%
Net Margin (TTM)	18.81%	26.41%
Operating Margin (TTM)	25.37%	38.19%
Gross Margin (TTM)	37.59%	71.65%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 6.25% and Zoetis (ZTS) at 2.28% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 1.49% and Zoetis (ZTS) at 10.05% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) and Zoetis (ZTS)
Metric	WST	ZTS
Revenue Growth (YoY)	6.25%	2.28%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	2.12%	5.42%
EPS Growth (YoY)	1.49%	10.05%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	-4.23%	10.27%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 2.82 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Zoetis (ZTS) at 2.35 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for ZTS.

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

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.35

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
Q1: 2.47
ZTS: 2.35
Min: 0.10

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): A comparison of their current ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 0.11 is near its industry mid-range for debt-to-equity ratio, while Zoetis (ZTS) at 2.80 sits above its benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.

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

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.80

ZTS: 2.80
Max: 1.42
Q3: 0.65
Median: 0.15
Q1: 0.02
Min: 0.00

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) and Zoetis (ZTS)
Metric	WST	ZTS
Current Ratio (MRQ)	2.82	2.35
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.11	2.80
Net Debt / EBITDA	-0.16	1.92

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 0.22% and Zoetis (ZTS) at 2.55% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.

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%

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.55%

ZTS: 2.55%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 9.88% and Zoetis (ZTS) at 35.24% pay out more of their earnings than any of their industry peers — the thinnest cover in their groups, so dividend headroom deserves attention.

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%

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

35.24%

ZTS: 35.24%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) and Zoetis (ZTS)
Metric	WST	ZTS
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.22%	2.55%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	9.88%	35.24%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Zoetis (ZTS) at 13.50 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.

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

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

13.50

Max: 85.34
Q3: 43.46
Median: 26.69
ZTS: 13.50
Q1: 13.30
Min: 0.07

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 8.20 and Zoetis (ZTS) at 3.40 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

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

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

3.40

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
Median: 7.30
ZTS: 3.40
Q1: 3.01
Min: 0.01

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) at 9.40 and Zoetis (ZTS) at 9.80 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.

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

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

9.80

Max: 13.53
ZTS: 9.80
Q3: 6.54
Median: 3.25
Q1: 1.69
Min: -5.59

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) and Zoetis (ZTS)
Metric	WST	ZTS
P/E Ratio (TTM)	44.87	13.50
P/S Ratio (TTM)	8.20	3.40
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	9.40	9.80
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	1.24%	6.36%