WST vs. ALGN

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

WST (West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.) and ALGN (Align Technology, Inc.) are both stocks. Both are in the Healthcare sector — WST in Medical Instruments & Supplies, ALGN in Medical Devices. Over the past 10 years, WST returned 15.72%/yr vs 7.83%/yr for ALGN. At a 0.40 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

WST vs. ALGN - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (WST) and Align Technology, Inc. (ALGN). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, WST achieves a 13.65% return, which is significantly higher than ALGN's 6.75% return. Over the past 10 years, WST has outperformed ALGN with an annualized return of 15.72%, while ALGN has yielded a comparatively lower 7.83% annualized return.

WST

• 1D: -1.31%
• 1M: 3.82%
• YTD: 13.65%
• 6M: 14.53%
• 1Y: 49.58%
• 3Y*: -2.89%
• 5Y*: -1.01%
• 10Y*: 15.72%

ALGN

• 1D: -1.81%
• 1M: -6.83%
• YTD: 6.75%
• 6M: 10.44%
• 1Y: -6.62%
• 3Y*: -17.97%
• 5Y*: -21.72%
• 10Y*: 7.83%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

WST vs. ALGN - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
WST West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.	13.65%	-15.73%	-6.75%	49.97%	-49.70%	65.88%	89.05%	54.13%	-0.08%	17.02%
ALGN Align Technology, Inc.	6.75%	-25.11%	-23.90%	29.92%	-67.91%	22.98%	91.51%	33.24%	-5.74%	131.13%

Correlation

The correlation between WST and ALGN is 0.37, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.37
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.37
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.47
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.45
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 31, 2001	0.40

The correlation between WST and ALGN shifts across timeframes, from 0.37 (3 years) to 0.47 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap WST : $22.60B ALGN : $11.94B
EPS WST : $7.47 ALGN : $5.96
PE Ratio WST : 41.79 ALGN : 27.96
PS Ratio WST : 7.04 ALGN : 2.93
PB Ratio WST : 7.56 ALGN : 2.88
Total Revenue (TTM) WST : $3.22B ALGN : $4.10B
Gross Profit (TTM) WST : $1.17B ALGN : $2.77B
EBITDA (TTM) WST : $799.00M ALGN : $776.15M

Return for Risk

WST vs. ALGN — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

WST

WST Risk / Return Rank: 75
WST Sharpe Ratio Rank: 76
WST Sortino Ratio Rank: 79
WST Omega Ratio Rank: 75
WST Calmar Ratio Rank: 74
WST Martin Ratio Rank: 71

ALGN

ALGN Risk / Return Rank: 35
ALGN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 35
ALGN Sortino Ratio Rank: 34
ALGN Omega Ratio Rank: 36
ALGN Calmar Ratio Rank: 34
ALGN Martin Ratio Rank: 35

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

WST vs. ALGN - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (WST) and Align Technology, Inc. (ALGN). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	WST	ALGN	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.21	-0.13	+1.33
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.25	0.21	+2.05
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.27	1.04	+0.23
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.96	-0.20	+2.16
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.94	-0.33	+4.27
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

WST vs. ALGN - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current WST Sharpe Ratio is 1.21, which is higher than the ALGN Sharpe Ratio of -0.13. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of WST and ALGN, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	WST	ALGN	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.21	-0.13	+1.33
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.03	-0.44	+0.42
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.46	0.16	+0.30
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.39	0.16	+0.23

Drawdowns

WST vs. ALGN - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum WST drawdown since its inception was -59.29%, smaller than the maximum ALGN drawdown of -92.30%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for WST and ALGN.

Drawdown Indicators

	WST	ALGN	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-59.29%	-92.30%	+33.01%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-24.70%	-39.73%	+15.03%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-53.79%	-67.59%	+13.80%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-59.29%	-82.89%	+23.60%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-59.29%	-82.89%	+23.60%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-32.97%	-77.16%	+44.19%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-16.88%	-37.63%	+20.75%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	12.32%	23.77%	-11.45%

Volatility

WST vs. ALGN - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (WST) is 8.65%, while Align Technology, Inc. (ALGN) has a volatility of 12.10%. This indicates that WST experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ALGN based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	WST	ALGN	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.65%	12.10%	-3.45%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	25.52%	28.19%	-2.67%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	41.28%	52.42%	-11.14%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	40.56%	49.52%	-8.96%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	34.63%	49.03%	-14.40%

Dividends

WST vs. ALGN - Dividend Comparison

WST's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.28%, while ALGN has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ALGN Align Technology, Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
WST West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.	0.28%	0.31%	0.25%	0.22%	0.31%	0.15%	0.23%	0.41%	0.58%	0.54%	0.58%	0.75%

Financials

WST vs. ALGN - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. and Align Technology, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

WST - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. reported a gross profit of 296.40M and revenue of 844.90M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 35.1%.

ALGN - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Align Technology, Inc. reported a gross profit of 736.59M and revenue of 1.04B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 70.8%.

WST - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. reported an operating income of 177.10M and revenue of 844.90M, resulting in an operating margin of 21.0%.

ALGN - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Align Technology, Inc. reported an operating income of 141.96M and revenue of 1.04B, resulting in an operating margin of 13.7%.

WST - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. reported a net income of 138.80M and revenue of 844.90M, resulting in a net margin of 16.4%.

ALGN - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Align Technology, Inc. reported a net income of 112.77M and revenue of 1.04B, resulting in a net margin of 10.8%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both WST and ALGN in my portfolio?

WST and ALGN have a correlation of 0.37, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, WST or ALGN?

ALGN has higher volatility (12.10%) compared to WST (8.65%). In terms of maximum drawdown, WST dropped -59.29% vs ALGN's -92.30%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

WST currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.21 vs -0.13), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.