West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST Shares Sold by Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.

Key Points

• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. reduced its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 50.6%, owning 2,967 shares worth approximately $664,000 after selling 3,034 shares in the first quarter.
• Despite the sale by Northwestern Mutual, other hedge funds like AXA S.A. and Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased their positions in West Pharmaceutical Services, indicating strong institutional interest.
• West Pharmaceutical Services recently declared a quarterly dividend increase from $0.21 to $0.22 per share, with a dividend yield of 0.4%.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lessened its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 50.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,967 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 3,034 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.'s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $664,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 85.0% in the 1st quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 185 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the period. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 1st quarter valued at $53,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 248.0% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 261 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 186 shares during the period. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group raised its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 83.3% in the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 275 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.90% of the company's stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

Shares of WST stock traded down $1.20 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $247.75. The company had a trading volume of 621,318 shares, compared to its average volume of 828,879. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.78 and a quick ratio of 2.08. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $236.41 and its 200 day simple moving average is $223.36. The stock has a market cap of $17.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.09, a PEG ratio of 4.38 and a beta of 1.05. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $187.43 and a 52-week high of $352.33.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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. The company had revenue of $766.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $725.11 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 18.43% and a net margin of 16.48%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.52 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.650-6.850 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th will be given a $0.22 dividend. This is an increase 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 of this dividend is Wednesday, November 12th. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 13.17%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

West Pharmaceutical Services Company Profile

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.