Which has the lower trailing P/E, STE or WST?

STE has the lower trailing P/E: STE trades at 29.12 and WST at 45.05. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, STE or WST?

Over the past five years, STE grew revenue faster — STE at a 5.93% CAGR versus WST at 5.68%.

Does STE or WST pay a bigger dividend?

STE yields 1.06% and WST yields 0.25% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is STE or WST more profitable?

WST runs the higher net margin — STE at 13.31% versus WST at 16.98%.

How have STE and WST total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, STE delivered 13.99% and WST delivered 16.26% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

STERIS plc (STE) vs West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (WST)

A side-by-side comparison of STERIS plc and West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of August 12, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

STE

STERIS plc

$23.06B

$236.60HealthcareDelayed quote: Aug 12, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

WST

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.

$24.79B

$352.29HealthcareDelayed quote: Aug 12, 2026, 4:02 PM EDT

Total return — STE vs WST

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

STE +274.2% (+14.1%/yr)WST +349.2% (+16.2%/yr)WST compounded faster over this window

STE WST

STE vs WST: by the numbers

•WST is the larger company ($24.79B vs $23.06B market cap).
•STE trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (29.12 vs 45.05 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•WST converts more revenue to profit (16.98% vs 13.31% net margin).
•STE grew revenue faster over the past five years (5.93% vs 5.68% CAGR).
•STE pays the higher dividend yield (1.06% vs 0.25%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	STE	WST
P/E ratio	29.12	45.05
Forward P/E	23.36	39.39
P/S ratio	3.86	7.55
P/B ratio	3.19	8.40
EV / EBITDA	13.45	28.84
FCF yield	4.24%	1.74%

Profitability

Metric	STE	WST
Gross margin	43.97%	36.77%
Operating margin	18.83%	20.64%
Net margin	13.31%	16.98%
ROE	8.38%	18.89%
ROIC	8.47%	13.62%

Dividends

Metric	STE	WST
Dividend yield	1.06%	0.25%
Payout ratio	31.78%	12.88%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	STE	WST
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	5.93%	5.68%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	11.22%	7.85%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	16.89%	8.74%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	2.80%	-3.64%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, STE or WST?: STE has the lower trailing P/E: STE trades at 29.12 and WST at 45.05. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, STE or WST?: Over the past five years, STE grew revenue faster — STE at a 5.93% CAGR versus WST at 5.68%.
Does STE or WST pay a bigger dividend?: STE yields 1.06% and WST yields 0.25% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is STE or WST more profitable?: WST runs the higher net margin — STE at 13.31% versus WST at 16.98%.
How have STE and WST total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, STE delivered 13.99% and WST delivered 16.26% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full STE analysis Full WST analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

STERIS P/E ratio West Pharmaceutical Services P/E ratio STERIS dividend yield West Pharmaceutical Services dividend yield STERIS ROE West Pharmaceutical Services ROE STERIS operating margin West Pharmaceutical Services operating margin STERIS revenue growth West Pharmaceutical Services revenue growth STERIS free cash flow West Pharmaceutical Services free cash flow

STERIS & West Pharmaceutical Services appear in these rankings

25+ Year Dividend Growers Highest FCF Yield Stocks Highest 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified August 12, 2026.