West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) Forward PE Ratio Explanation
The Forward PE Ratio of a company is often used to compare current earnings to estimated future earnings, as well as gaining a clearer picture of what earnings will look like without charges and other accounting adjustments. If earnings are expected to grow in the future, the Forward PE Ratio will be lower than the current PE Ratio. This measure is also used to compare one company to another with a forward-looking focus.
Trailing PE Ratio relies on what is already done. It uses the current share price and divides by the total EPS (Basic) over the past 12 months. PE Ratio can be affected by Non Operating Income such as the sale of part of businesses. This may increase for the current year or quarter dramatically. But it cannot be repeated over and over. Therefore PE Ratio without NRI is a more accurate indication of valuation than PE Ratio .
West Pharmaceutical Services Forward PE Ratio Related Terms
West Pharmaceutical Services Forward PE Ratio Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
West Pharmaceutical Services Forward PE Ratio Chart
West Pharmaceutical Services Annual Data
Trend
2015-12
2016-12
2017-12
2018-12
2019-12
2020-12
2021-12
2022-12
2023-12
2024-12
2025-12
Forward PE Ratio
30.77
32.15
33.67
28.25
43.67
62.11
54.35
28.49
40.32
44.42
35.29
West Pharmaceutical Services Quarterly Data
2015-12
2016-03
2016-06
2016-09
2016-12
2017-03
2017-06
2017-09
2017-12
2018-03
2018-06
2018-09
2018-12
2019-03
2019-06
2019-09
2019-12
2020-03
2020-06
2020-09
2020-12
2021-03
2021-06
2021-09
2021-12
2022-03
2022-06
2022-09
2022-12
2023-03
2023-06
2023-09
2023-12
2024-03
2024-06
2024-09
2024-12
2025-03
2025-06
2025-09
2025-12
2026-03
Forward PE Ratio
30.77
31.15
34.25
28.25
32.15
32.47
37.59
32.89
33.67
30.49
35.34
36.23
28.25
38.31
43.10
40.82
43.67
40.32
64.52
61.73
62.11
47.62
52.63
49.75
54.35
44.64
32.79
25.38
28.49
44.84
50.51
42.55
40.32
51.81
44.05
41.15
44.42
36.29
34.77
34.54
35.29
30.31
WST vs RMD, MDLN, COO: Forward PE Ratio Comparison
For the Medical Instruments & Supplies subindustry, West Pharmaceutical Services's Forward PE Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Forward PE Ratio data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
West Pharmaceutical Services Forward PE Ratio vs Medical Devices & Instruments Industry
For the Medical Devices & Instruments industry and Healthcare sector, West Pharmaceutical Services's Forward PE Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where West Pharmaceutical Services's Forward PE Ratio falls into.
West Pharmaceutical Services Forward PE Ratio Calculation
It's a measure of the price-to-earnings ratio (PE Ratio) using forecasted earnings for the calculation. While the earnings used are just an estimate and are not as reliable as current earnings data, there is still benefit in estimated P/E analysis. The forecasted earnings used in the formula can either be for the next 12 months or for the next full-year fiscal period.
West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) has a Forward PE Ratio of 41.08 as of Jul. 09, 2026. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on West Pharmaceutical Services and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, West Pharmaceutical Services ranks #321 out of 392 companies in the Medical Devices & Instruments industry, placing it in the top 81.9%.
Is West Pharmaceutical Services' Forward PE Ratio too high?
West Pharmaceutical Services' current Forward PE Ratio is 41.08. The Medical Devices & Instruments industry median Forward PE Ratio is 19.00. West Pharmaceutical Services' value of 41.08 is 116.3% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, West Pharmaceutical Services ranks #321 out of 392 companies in the Medical Devices & Instruments industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, West Pharmaceutical Services has a GF Score™ of 95/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does West Pharmaceutical Services' Forward PE Ratio compare to RMD and MDLN?
According to the Medical Devices & Instruments industry distribution chart, West Pharmaceutical Services ranks #321 out of 392 companies for Forward PE Ratio. This places West Pharmaceutical Services in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Forward PE Ratio is 19.00. West Pharmaceutical Services' value of 41.08 is 116.3% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Forward PE Ratio for a Medical Devices & Instruments company?
The median Forward PE Ratio among Medical Devices & Instruments companies is 19.00, based on 392 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Forward PE Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Forward PE Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. West Pharmaceutical Services's current Forward PE Ratio of 41.08 is 116.3% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Forward PE Ratio mean?
A high Forward PE Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on West Pharmaceutical Services and its competitors. For the Medical Devices & Instruments industry, the median Forward PE Ratio is 19.00 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. West Pharmaceutical Services's current Forward PE Ratio is 41.08. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is West Pharmaceutical Services stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $362.24, compared to a current price of $353.68 — trading 2.4% below its estimated fair value. The current Forward PE Ratio is 41.08 and 116.3% above the Medical Devices & Instruments industry median of 19.00. West Pharmaceutical Services' overall GF Score™ is 95/100 with 9 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Forward PE Ratio calculated?
Forward PE Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For West Pharmaceutical Services (WST), the current Forward PE Ratio is 41.08 as of Jul. 09, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, West Pharmaceutical Services stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $353.68 is trading 2.4% below its estimated GF Value™ of $362.24.
GuruFocus considers West Pharmaceutical Services to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for WST:
Forward PE Ratio: 41.08
GF Value™: $362.24 vs. price of $353.68 (2.4% below fair value)
Industry Position: 116.3% above the Medical Devices & Instruments median (#321 of 392)
No single metric tells the full story. See the WST stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
West Pharmaceutical Services is based in Pennsylvania and is a key supplier to firms in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and generic drug industries. West sells elastomer-based packaging components (including stoppers, seals, and plungers), nonglass containment solutions, and auto-injectors for injectable drugs, which include large-molecule biologics, peptides such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, and small-molecule drugs. The company reports in two segments: proprietary products (about 80% of total revenue) and contract-manufactured products (about 20% of total revenue). It generates approximately 55% of its revenue from international markets and 45% from the United States.
95GF Score
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