ACU vs STVN vs WST Stock Comparison

Acme United, Stevanato Group S.p.A and West Pharmaceutical Services Prices as of Oct 28, 2026 Peers: Industry group
ACU Acme United Corp
$66.87 +5.1% 1M +73.3% 1Y
Market cap
$258.61M
P/E
24.8x
Revenue (TTM)
—
Div. yield
–
Medical Supplies Healthcare
6 wins
STVN Stevanato Group S.p.A.
$19.46 -9.3% 1M -24.5% 1Y
Market cap
$5.50B
P/E
35.0x
Revenue (TTM)
$1.43B
Div. yield
–
Medical Supplies Healthcare
1 win

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Acme United leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (Acme United 6, West Pharmaceutical Services 4, Stevanato Group S.p.A 1). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionACUSTVNWSTLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $258.61M $5.50B $29.58B WST
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 24.8x 35.0x 52.4x ACU
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 24.3x 29.5x 42.3x ACU
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months — +14.8% +12.4% STVN
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months — 11.0% 17.0% WST
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital — 7.2% 16.9% WST
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA — 1.2x -0.3x WST
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +73.3% -24.5% +42.6% ACU
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +12.6%/yr -5.4%/yr -1.2%/yr ACU
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 30.7% 45.6% 31.2% ACU
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 71/100 67/100 67/100 ACU

Percentile Scorecard

ACUSTVNWST

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisACUSTVNWST
Valuation 88 #28 of 227 83 #40 of 227 48 #118 of 227
Growth – 57 #95 of 219 39 #134 of 219
Profitability – 82 #37 of 205 92 #18 of 205
Financial Health 60 #96 of 237 73 #66 of 237 78 #52 of 237
Shareholder Returns 65 #48 of 135 41 #80 of 135 78 #30 of 135
Overall 71 67 67
  • ACU ranked among 247 companies in Medical Devices and Diagnostics
  • STVN ranked among 247 companies in Medical Devices and Diagnostics
  • WST ranked among 247 companies in Medical Devices and Diagnostics

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodACUSTVNWSTSPY
1 month +5.1%-9.3%+7.6% +0.9%
3 months +12.2%-4.5%+19.8% +5.9%
6 months +62.7%+19.7%+36.9% +8.5%
Year to date +65.9%-3.3%+46.9% +13.3%
1 year +73.3%-24.5%+42.6% +12.4%
3 years +120.0%-32.2%+26.0% +88.1%
3 years, per year +30.1%-12.2%+8.0% +23.5%
5 years +80.7%-24.2%-6.0% +68.2%
5 years, per year +12.6%-5.4%-1.2% +11.0%
10 years +216.9%—+451.6% +263.4%
10 years, per year +12.2%—+18.6% +13.8%

Risk

MeasureACUSTVNWSTSPY
Volatility, 1Y 30.7%45.6%31.2% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 24.2%44.7%30.9% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.241.120.62 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 2.39-0.541.37 0.98
Max drawdown, 5Y -43.5%-62.2%-59.6% -25.4%
From 52-week high 0.0%-24.6%0.0% -0.9%
52-week high $66.87$25.80$404.30 $779.14
52-week low $35.50$13.43$230.95 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleACUSTVNWST
P/E now vs peer median 24.8xmedian 28.8x 33.8xmedian 28.8x 50.7xmedian 28.8x
P/S now vs peer median 1.2xmedian 3.0x 4.1xmedian 3.0x 8.6xmedian 3.0x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median —median 17.4x 18.2xmedian 17.4x 32.8xmedian 17.4x
P/FCF now vs peer median 15.8xmedian 25.7x 9.9xmedian 25.7x 65.1xmedian 25.7x
P/B now vs peer median 2.1xmedian 2.4x 3.3xmedian 2.4x 9.5xmedian 2.4x
PEG now vs peer median —median 1.03 -126.16median 1.03 10.51median 1.03

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsACUSTVNWST
Revenue – $1.43B $3.33B
Gross profit – $416.82M $1.22B
Operating income – $233.97M $680.40M
Net income – $157.06M $564.90M
Free cash flow – $592.88M $436.90M
R&D – $29.75M $74.40M
EPS (diluted) – $0.58 $7.92
Cash & equivalents $7.94M $89.82M $435.80M
Total debt – $2.11B $202.90M
Shares (diluted) 4.14M 272.96M 71.30M
Enterprise value $258.61M $4.95B $27.20B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricACUSTVNWST
P/E 24.8x 33.8x 50.7x
P/FCF 15.8x 9.9x 65.1x
P/Operating cash flow – 20.3x 43.0x
P/S 1.2x 4.1x 8.6x
P/B 2.1x 3.3x 9.5x
P/Tangible book 2.8x 3.4x 9.5x
EV/EBITDA – 18.2x 32.8x
EV/EBIT – 26.9x 41.5x
EV/Revenue – 4.4x 8.5x
EV/FCF – 10.6x 64.6x
EV/Operating cash flow – 21.7x 42.6x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) – -126.16 10.51

Growth

14 metrics
MetricACUSTVNWST
Revenue growth (1Y) – 14.8% 12.4%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) – 9.8% 5.1%
Gross profit growth (1Y) – 19.4% 17.2%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) – 6.2% 3.8%
Operating income growth (1Y) – 17.2% 17.0%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) – 4.5% 1.3%
Net income growth (1Y) – 7.5% 15.8%
Net income CAGR (3Y) – 0.8% 2.9%
EPS growth (1Y) – 6.7% 17.8%
EPS CAGR (3Y) – -0.3% 4.8%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) – 30.4% -2.1%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) – 32.9% -2.2%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) – 17.2% 27.0%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) – 8.0% 3.3%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricACUSTVNWST
Gross margin – 29.2% 36.8%
EBITDA margin – 24.1% 25.9%
Operating margin – 16.4% 20.5%
Pretax margin – 15.7% 20.8%
Net margin – 11.0% 17.0%
FCF margin – 41.5% 13.1%
Operating cash flow margin – 20.3% 19.9%
Return on equity – 8.9% 18.4%
Return on assets – 5.3% 13.4%
Return on invested capital – 7.2% 16.9%
Return on capital employed – – 19.7%
Asset turnover – 0.5x 0.8x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) – 1.8x 1.2x
Stock comp / revenue – – 1.0%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricACUSTVNWST
Debt / assets – 17.0% 5.0%
Debt / equity – 0.3x 0.1x
Net debt / EBITDA – 1.2x -0.3x
Debt / FCF – 0.9x 0.5x
Liabilities / assets 39.9% 40.8% 26.6%
Equity / assets 60.1% 59.2% 73.4%
Interest coverage – 14.9x 151.2x
Current ratio 3.9x – 2.8x
Quick ratio – – 1.8x
Cash ratio – – 0.7x
Altman Z-score – – 19.02

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricACUSTVNWST
Dividend yield 1.0% 0.3% 0.2%
Net buyback yield – – 1.5%
Shareholder yield 1.0% 0.3% 1.7%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – 11.0%
Payout ratio (FCF) – – 14.3%
Dividend growth (1Y) – – 3.8%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – 3.8%

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusACUSTVNWST
Forward P/E 24.3xFY2026 29.5xFY2026 42.3xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $2.75FY2026 $0.66FY2026 $9.56FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +10.4%FY2026 +4.8%FY2026 +31.1%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +4.0% +15.2% +10.6%
Revenue, next fiscal year $217.65MFY2026 $1.46BFY2026 $3.24BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +10.7%FY2026 +5.1%FY2026 +5.6%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +0.7% +10.0% +16.8%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersACUSTVNWST
Held by institutions 73.5% 16.4% 99.5%
Institutions holding 84 126 833
Change in shares held, QoQ +1.3% +0.4% -0.9%
Institutions buying 47 61 448
Institutions selling 21 52 261
Buyers to sellers 2.24 1.17 1.72

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

ACUSTVNWST
ACU 1.00 0.20 0.12
STVN 0.20 1.00 0.47
WST 0.12 0.47 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, ACU, STVN and WST?

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) is the largest by market capitalisation: Acme United (ACU) $258.61M, Stevanato Group S.p.A (STVN) $5.50B, West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) $29.58B.

Which stock is cheaper, ACU, STVN and WST?

Acme United (ACU) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Acme United (ACU) 24.8x, Stevanato Group S.p.A (STVN) 35.0x, West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) 52.4x). On next year's consensus earnings, Acme United (ACU) is cheapest (Acme United (ACU) 24.3x, Stevanato Group S.p.A (STVN) 29.5x, West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) 42.3x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Stevanato Group S.p.A (STVN) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Stevanato Group S.p.A (STVN) +14.8%, West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) +12.4%.

Which company is more profitable?

West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) has the highest net margin (Stevanato Group S.p.A (STVN) 11.0%, West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) 17.0%). On return on invested capital, West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) leads (Stevanato Group S.p.A (STVN) 7.2%, West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) 16.9%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Acme United (ACU) returned the most: Acme United (ACU) +73.3%, Stevanato Group S.p.A (STVN) -24.5%, West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) +42.6%. Over five years, Acme United (ACU) compounded fastest (Acme United (ACU) +12.6%/yr, Stevanato Group S.p.A (STVN) -5.4%/yr, West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) -1.2%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Only one of these companies pays a dividend: Acme United (ACU) 0.00%, Stevanato Group S.p.A (STVN) 0.00%, West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) 0.00%. Acme United (ACU) and Stevanato Group S.p.A (STVN) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Acme United (ACU) has been the steadiest (Acme United (ACU) 30.7%, Stevanato Group S.p.A (STVN) 45.6%, West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) 31.2%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, ACU, STVN and WST?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Acme United (ACU) leads on 6. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.