Lecap Asset Management Ltd. Takes $324,000 Position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Key Points

• Lecap Asset Management Ltd. has acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services, purchasing 1,481 shares valued at approximately $324,000 during the second quarter.
• West Pharmaceutical Services recently reported quarterly earnings of $1.84 earnings per share, exceeding analysts' expectations, and posted revenue of $766.50 million, marking a 9.2% year-over-year increase.
• The company announced an increase in its quarterly dividend from $0.21 to $0.22 per share, with a payout ratio of 12.57%.

Lecap Asset Management Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 1,481 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $324,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WST. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 20.0% during the second quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 6,698 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,466,000 after purchasing an additional 1,117 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 6.8% during the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 50,631 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $11,078,000 after buying an additional 3,212 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 2,486 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $544,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Revisor Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 10.3% in the 2nd quarter. Revisor Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,547 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $354,000 after buying an additional 144 shares during the period. Finally, Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the second quarter valued at $328,000. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Down 0.3%

NYSE WST opened at $272.35 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.08, a current ratio of 2.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $187.43 and a fifty-two week high of $352.33. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $250.58 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $228.67. The stock has a market cap of $19.58 billion, a PE ratio of 40.77, a P/E/G ratio of 4.85 and a beta of 1.07.

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

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This is a boost from West Pharmaceutical Services's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 12th. West Pharmaceutical Services's payout ratio is 12.57%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Rothschild & Co Redburn began coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, September 15th. They set a "buy" rating and a $311.00 price target for the company. Zacks Research downgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 23rd. Redburn Partners set a $311.00 price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Monday, September 15th. Rothschild Redb raised shares of West Pharmaceutical Services to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $321.89.

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.

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