Is STE or WST cheaper?

On trailing earnings, STE is cheaper: STE trades at a 27.20 P/E and WST at 46.84.

Which has grown faster, STE or WST?

Over the past five years, STE grew revenue faster — STE at a 13.82% CAGR versus WST at 6.72%.

Does STE or WST pay a bigger dividend?

STE yields 1.17% 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 13.18% versus WST at 16.85%.

Which has been the better investment, STE or WST?

Over the past 10-year, WST delivered the higher annualized total return — STE at 13.87% versus WST at 17.45%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

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

STE leads on 13 of 17 compared metrics.

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 June 28, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.

$24.79B

$350.85Healthcare

Total return — STE vs WST

growth of $100 · last 30y

STE +1247.9%WST +4578.0%WST compounded faster

STE WST

STE vs WST: by the numbers

•WST is the larger company ($24.79B vs $21.02B market cap).
•STE trades at the lower earnings multiple (27.20 vs 46.84 P/E).
•WST converts more revenue to profit (16.85% vs 13.18% net margin).
•STE grew revenue faster over the past five years (13.82% vs 6.72% CAGR).
•STE pays the higher dividend yield (1.17% vs 0.25%).

Which is better, STE or WST?

Metric tally: STE 13 · WST 4

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueSTE(lower P/E)

GrowthSTE(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeSTE(higher dividend yield)

QualityWST(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	STE	WST
P/E ratio	27.20●	46.84
Forward P/E	21.15●	36.63
P/S ratio	3.58●	7.89
P/B ratio	2.95●	8.49
PEG ratio	1.03●	33.99
EV / EBITDA	12.53●	29.94
FCF yield	4.58%●	1.80%

Profitability

Metric	STE	WST
Gross margin	44.25%●	36.24%
Operating margin	18.56%	20.67%●
Net margin	13.18%	16.85%●
ROE	10.89%	18.15%●
ROIC	8.47%	13.62%●

Dividends

Metric	STE	WST
Dividend yield	1.17%●	0.25%
Payout ratio	31.78%	12.88%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	STE	WST
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	13.82%●	6.72%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	11.22%●	7.85%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	16.64%●	8.32%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	1.81%●	-0.26%

Frequently asked

Which is better, STE or WST?: It depends on your goal. value: STE (lower P/E); growth: STE (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: STE (higher dividend yield); quality: WST (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, STE leads 13 to 4.
Is STE or WST cheaper?: On trailing earnings, STE is cheaper: STE trades at a 27.20 P/E and WST at 46.84.
Which has grown faster, STE or WST?: Over the past five years, STE grew revenue faster — STE at a 13.82% CAGR versus WST at 6.72%.
Does STE or WST pay a bigger dividend?: STE yields 1.17% 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 13.18% versus WST at 16.85%.
Which has been the better investment, STE or WST?: Over the past 10-year, WST delivered the higher annualized total return — STE at 13.87% versus WST at 17.45%. 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

Dividend Aristocrats Highest FCF Yield Stocks Best 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 June 28, 2026.