Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Has $34.48 Million Stake in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Key Points

• Assenagon Asset Management reduced its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 45.2% in the first quarter, though it still held 137,561 shares valued at about $34.5 million.
• West Pharmaceutical Services posted strong quarterly results, with EPS of $2.13 beating estimates and revenue of $844.9 million topping forecasts; revenue also rose 21% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with multiple firms raising ratings or price targets and the stock carrying a consensus Buy rating and average target price of $340.09.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. cut its position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 45.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 137,561 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 113,445 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned 0.19% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $34,478,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Bayban bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 156.4% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 100 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Chad Winters sold 896 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.67, for a total transaction of $269,400.32. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 1,523 shares in the company, valued at approximately $457,920.41. This represents a 37.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Annette F. Favorite sold 2,817 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.20, for a total value of $859,748.40. Following the sale, the vice president owned 16,828 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,135,905.60. This trade represents a 14.34% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:WST opened at $351.07 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a current ratio of 2.71. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $206.80 and a 52-week high of $352.31. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $313.84 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $275.59. The firm has a market cap of $24.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.93, a PEG ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.18.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.45. The firm had revenue of $844.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $779.67 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 16.85%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 21.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.45 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.400-8.750 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.120 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on WST shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Zacks Research raised West Pharmaceutical Services from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $360.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Barclays raised West Pharmaceutical Services from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $310.00 to $400.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $315.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $340.09.

West Pharmaceutical Services Company Profile

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc is a global developer and manufacturer of components, systems and services that enable the containment and delivery of injectable drugs. The company focuses on high-quality packaging and delivery solutions for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, producing primary drug packaging components and specialized drug delivery devices used for vaccines, biologics and other injectable therapies. West is known for its elastomeric closures, seals and polymer components that maintain sterility and compatibility with sensitive drug formulations.

In addition to component manufacturing, West provides engineered delivery systems and support services across the product lifecycle.

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