Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Boosts Stake in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Key Points

• Epoch Investment Partners Inc. increased its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 21.0%, owning approximately $73.83 million across 329,793 shares after purchasing an additional 57,268 shares.
• West Pharmaceutical Services reported $1.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the last quarter, exceeding the estimated $1.51; the company also saw a 9.2% year-over-year revenue growth.
• The company has raised its quarterly dividend from $0.21 to $0.22, with a scheduled payment date of November 19th for shareholders of record on November 12th.

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. raised its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 21.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 329,793 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 57,268 shares during the quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. owned approximately 0.46% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $73,834,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Boston Trust Walden Corp boosted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 4.7% in the first quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 1,110 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $249,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. MGO One Seven LLC boosted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 1,277 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $418,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV boosted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV now owns 9,318 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $3,105,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Formidable Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Formidable Asset Management LLC now owns 2,067 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $677,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd boosted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 0.7% in the first quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 7,887 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,766,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

West Pharmaceutical Services Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WST traded down $0.37 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $245.60. The stock had a trading volume of 784,142 shares, compared to its average volume of 546,816. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $234.22 and a 200-day moving average of $223.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a current ratio of 2.78. The company has a market capitalization of $17.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.36 and a beta of 1.05. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $187.43 and a 12-month high of $352.33.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.84 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.33. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.48% and a return on equity of 18.43%. The firm had revenue of $766.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $725.11 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.52 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.650-6.850 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 19th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 12th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This is a positive change from West Pharmaceutical Services's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 12th. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.57%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WST has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, July 26th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $285.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 25th. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Tuesday, June 24th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $245.00 price target on the stock. Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $275.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, July 25th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $320.71.

About West Pharmaceutical Services

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc designs, manufactures, and sells containment and delivery systems for injectable drugs and healthcare products in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in two segments, Proprietary Products and Contract-Manufactured Products.