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Side-by-side financial comparison of Waters Corporation (WAT) and West Pharmaceutical Services (WST). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Waters Corporation is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($932.4M vs $805.0M, roughly 1.2× West Pharmaceutical Services). Waters Corporation runs the higher net margin — 24.2% vs 16.4%, a 7.7% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, West Pharmaceutical Services posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (7.5% vs 6.8%). Over the past eight quarters, Waters Corporation's revenue compounded faster (21.0% CAGR vs 7.6%).

Waters Corporation is an American company headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts that provides analytical instruments and software used for chromatography, mass spectrometry, laboratory informatics, and rheometry by the life sciences, materials, and food industries.

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. is a designer and manufacturer of injectable pharmaceutical packaging and delivery systems. Founded in 1923 by Herman O. West and J.R. Wike of Philadelphia, the company is headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania. In its early years of development, West produced rubber components for packaging injectable drugs, providing a sterile environment for the producers of penicillin and insulin.

WAT vs WST — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
WAT
WAT
1.2× larger
WAT
$932.4M
$805.0M
WST
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
WST
WST
+0.7% gap
WST
7.5%
6.8%
WAT
Higher net margin
WAT
WAT
7.7% more per $
WAT
24.2%
16.4%
WST
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
WAT
WAT
Annualised
WAT
21.0%
7.6%
WST

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Revenue
$932.4M
$805.0M
Net Profit
$225.2M
$132.1M
Gross Margin
61.1%
37.8%
Operating Margin
29.0%
19.5%
Net Margin
24.2%
16.4%
Revenue YoY
6.8%
7.5%
Net Profit YoY
-2.7%
1.5%
EPS (diluted)
$3.76
$1.82

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Q4 25
$932.4M
$805.0M
Q3 25
$799.9M
$804.6M
Q2 25
$771.3M
$766.5M
Q1 25
$661.7M
$698.0M
Q4 24
$872.7M
$748.8M
Q3 24
$740.3M
$746.9M
Q2 24
$708.5M
$702.1M
Q1 24
$636.8M
$695.4M
Net Profit
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Q4 25
$225.2M
$132.1M
Q3 25
$148.9M
$140.0M
Q2 25
$147.1M
$131.8M
Q1 25
$121.4M
$89.8M
Q4 24
$231.4M
$130.1M
Q3 24
$161.5M
$136.0M
Q2 24
$142.7M
$111.3M
Q1 24
$102.2M
$115.3M
Gross Margin
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Q4 25
61.1%
37.8%
Q3 25
59.0%
36.6%
Q2 25
58.3%
35.7%
Q1 25
58.2%
33.2%
Q4 24
60.1%
36.5%
Q3 24
59.3%
35.4%
Q2 24
59.3%
32.8%
Q1 24
58.9%
33.1%
Operating Margin
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Q4 25
29.0%
19.5%
Q3 25
24.0%
20.8%
Q2 25
24.4%
20.1%
Q1 25
22.9%
15.3%
Q4 24
33.5%
21.3%
Q3 24
28.5%
21.6%
Q2 24
26.7%
18.0%
Q1 24
21.0%
17.7%
Net Margin
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Q4 25
24.2%
16.4%
Q3 25
18.6%
17.4%
Q2 25
19.1%
17.2%
Q1 25
18.3%
12.9%
Q4 24
26.5%
17.4%
Q3 24
21.8%
18.2%
Q2 24
20.1%
15.9%
Q1 24
16.0%
16.6%
EPS (diluted)
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Q4 25
$3.76
$1.82
Q3 25
$2.50
$1.92
Q2 25
$2.47
$1.82
Q1 25
$2.03
$1.23
Q4 24
$3.88
$1.78
Q3 24
$2.71
$1.85
Q2 24
$2.40
$1.51
Q1 24
$1.72
$1.55

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$587.8M
$791.3M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$1.4B
$202.8M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$2.6B
$3.2B
Total Assets
$5.1B
$4.3B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.55×
0.06×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Q4 25
$587.8M
$791.3M
Q3 25
$459.1M
$628.5M
Q2 25
$367.2M
$509.7M
Q1 25
$382.9M
$404.2M
Q4 24
$325.4M
$484.6M
Q3 24
$331.5M
$490.9M
Q2 24
$327.4M
$446.2M
Q1 24
$338.2M
$601.8M
Total Debt
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Q4 25
$1.4B
$202.8M
Q3 25
$202.7M
Q2 25
$202.6M
Q1 25
$202.6M
Q4 24
$1.6B
$202.6M
Q3 24
$202.6M
Q2 24
$205.8M
Q1 24
$206.2M
Stockholders' Equity
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Q4 25
$2.6B
$3.2B
Q3 25
$2.3B
$3.1B
Q2 25
$2.2B
$2.9B
Q1 25
$2.0B
$2.7B
Q4 24
$1.8B
$2.7B
Q3 24
$1.6B
$2.8B
Q2 24
$1.4B
$2.6B
Q1 24
$1.3B
$2.7B
Total Assets
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Q4 25
$5.1B
$4.3B
Q3 25
$4.9B
$4.1B
Q2 25
$4.7B
$4.0B
Q1 25
$4.6B
$3.6B
Q4 24
$4.6B
$3.6B
Q3 24
$4.5B
$3.7B
Q2 24
$4.4B
$3.5B
Q1 24
$4.5B
$3.6B
Debt / Equity
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Q4 25
0.55×
0.06×
Q3 25
0.07×
Q2 25
0.07×
Q1 25
0.08×
Q4 24
0.89×
0.08×
Q3 24
0.07×
Q2 24
0.08×
Q1 24
0.08×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$164.6M
$251.1M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$175.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
21.7%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
9.5%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.73×
1.90×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$468.9M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Q4 25
$164.6M
$251.1M
Q3 25
$187.3M
$197.2M
Q2 25
$41.1M
$177.1M
Q1 25
$259.6M
$129.4M
Q4 24
$240.1M
$190.1M
Q3 24
$204.6M
$180.1M
Q2 24
$54.5M
$165.0M
Q1 24
$262.9M
$118.2M
Free Cash Flow
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Q4 25
$175.0M
Q3 25
$133.9M
Q2 25
$101.9M
Q1 25
$58.1M
Q4 24
$85.2M
Q3 24
$98.8M
Q2 24
$64.8M
Q1 24
$27.6M
FCF Margin
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Q4 25
21.7%
Q3 25
16.6%
Q2 25
13.3%
Q1 25
8.3%
Q4 24
11.4%
Q3 24
13.2%
Q2 24
9.2%
Q1 24
4.0%
Capex Intensity
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Q4 25
9.5%
Q3 25
7.9%
Q2 25
9.8%
Q1 25
10.2%
Q4 24
14.0%
Q3 24
10.9%
Q2 24
14.3%
Q1 24
13.0%
Cash Conversion
WAT
WAT
WST
WST
Q4 25
0.73×
1.90×
Q3 25
1.26×
1.41×
Q2 25
0.28×
1.34×
Q1 25
2.14×
1.44×
Q4 24
1.04×
1.46×
Q3 24
1.27×
1.32×
Q2 24
0.38×
1.48×
Q1 24
2.57×
1.03×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

WAT
WAT

Segment breakdown not available.

WST
WST

Proprietary Products$661.8M82%
Contract Manufactured Products$143.2M18%
Affiliated Entity$3.3M0%

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