Winners And Losers Of Q1: Azenta (NASDAQ:AZTA) Vs The Rest Of The Drug Development Inputs & Services Stocks

July 17, 2025 at 23:31 PM EDT

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Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Azenta (NASDAQ: AZTA) and the best and worst performers in the drug development inputs & services industry.

Companies specializing in drug development inputs and services play a crucial role in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology value chain. Essential support for drug discovery, preclinical testing, and manufacturing means stable demand, as pharmaceutical companies often outsource non-core functions with medium to long-term contracts. However, the business model faces high capital requirements, customer concentration, and vulnerability to shifts in biopharma R&D budgets or regulatory frameworks. Looking ahead, the industry will likely enjoy tailwinds such as increasing investment in biologics, cell and gene therapies, and advancements in precision medicine, which drive demand for sophisticated tools and services. There is a growing trend of outsourcing in drug development for nimbleness and cost efficiency, which benefits the industry. On the flip side, potential headwinds include pricing pressures as efforts to contain healthcare costs are always top of mind. An evolving regulatory backdrop could also slow innovation or client activity.

The 8 drug development inputs & services stocks we track reported a very strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 4%.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 8.6% on average since the latest earnings results.

Slowest Q1: Azenta (NASDAQ: AZTA)

Serving as the guardian of some of medicine's most valuable materials, Azenta (NASDAQ: AZTA) provides biological sample management, storage, and genomic services that help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies preserve and analyze critical research materials.

Azenta reported revenues of $143.4 million, up 5.2% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 2%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a slower quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

"We delivered another quarter of strong performance in an evolving and uncertain macroeconomic environment. Our performance in the second quarter and first half of our fiscal year demonstrates the resilience of our portfolio and the dedication of our teams that focus on our customers with our clearly differentiated products and services," said John Marotta, President and CEO.

Interestingly, the stock is up 26.3% since reporting and currently trades at $32.11.

Read our full report on Azenta here, it’s free.

Best Q1: UFP Technologies (NASDAQ: UFPT)

With expertise dating back to 1963 in specialized materials and precision manufacturing, UFP Technologies (NASDAQ: UFPT) designs and manufactures custom solutions for medical devices, sterile packaging, and other highly engineered products for healthcare and industrial applications.

UFP Technologies reported revenues of $148.1 million, up 41.1% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 5.9%. The business had an incredible quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

UFP Technologies delivered the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 18% since reporting. It currently trades at $232.74.

Is now the time to buy UFP Technologies? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Repligen (NASDAQ: RGEN)

With over 13 strategic acquisitions since 2012 to build its comprehensive bioprocessing portfolio, Repligen (NASDAQ: RGEN) develops and manufactures specialized technologies that improve the efficiency and flexibility of biological drug manufacturing processes.

Repligen reported revenues of $169.2 million, up 10.4% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 3%. It was a satisfactory quarter as it also posted a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates but a miss of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 13.7% since the results and currently trades at $124.04.

Read our full analysis of Repligen’s results here.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE: WST)

Founded in 1923 and serving as a critical link in the pharmaceutical supply chain, West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE: WST) manufactures specialized packaging, containment systems, and delivery devices for injectable drugs and healthcare products.

West Pharmaceutical Services reported revenues of $698 million, flat year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2%. It was a very strong quarter as it also recorded an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and full-year revenue guidance beating analysts’ expectations.

The stock is up 2% since reporting and currently trades at $222.

Read our full, actionable report on West Pharmaceutical Services here, it’s free.

IQVIA (NYSE: IQV)

Created from the 2016 merger of Quintiles (a clinical research organization) and IMS Health (a healthcare data specialist), IQVIA (NYSE: IQV) provides clinical research services, data analytics, and technology solutions to help pharmaceutical companies develop and market medications more effectively.

IQVIA reported revenues of $3.83 billion, up 2.5% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 1.5%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also put up full-year revenue guidance beating analysts’ expectations and an impressive beat of analysts’ constant currency revenue estimates.

IQVIA achieved the highest full-year guidance raise but had the weakest performance against analyst estimates among its peers. The stock is up 7.1% since reporting and currently trades at $163.25.

Read our full, actionable report on IQVIA here, it’s free.

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has been on a steady path downward, easing back toward that 2% sweet spot. Fortunately (miraculously to some), all this tightening didn’t send the economy tumbling into a recession, so here we are, cautiously celebrating a soft landing. The cherry on top? Recent rate cuts (half a point in September 2024, a quarter in November) have propped up markets, especially after Trump’s November win lit a fire under major indices and sent them to all-time highs. However, there’s still plenty to ponder — tariffs, corporate tax cuts, and what 2025 might hold for the economy.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 6 Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.

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