Bank of Nova Scotia Takes Position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Bank of Nova Scotia purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 26,814 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $9,626,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter worth about $242,000. Daiichi Life Insurance Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter worth $7,843,000. Commerce Bank acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter worth $2,126,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. purchased a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter valued at $844,000. Finally, Evolve Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter valued at $247,000. 93.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

West Pharmaceutical Services Price Performance

West Pharmaceutical Services stock opened at $353.33 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.87 billion, a PE ratio of 45.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.15. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $223.83 and a 52 week high of $386.00. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $349.06 and its 200 day simple moving average is $301.06. The company has a quick ratio of 2.12, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.29. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.98% and a return on equity of 20.11%. The company had revenue of $872.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $839.98 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.84 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.140-2.240 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.850-9.050 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 29th were issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 29th. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio is 11.27%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on WST. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Citigroup increased their target price on West Pharmaceutical Services from $400.00 to $412.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Wolfe Research began coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, June 1st. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $375.00 price target on the stock. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $360.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, KeyCorp raised their price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $368.08.

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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