Rhenman & Partners Asset Management AB Buys New Position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Key Points

• Rhenman & Partners Asset Management opened a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services, buying 7,000 shares worth about $1.93 million in the fourth quarter.
• Several insiders sold shares recently, including VP Annette F. Favorite and CAO Chad Winters, while institutional ownership remains high at 93.9%.
• West Pharmaceutical Services reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $2.13 and revenue of $844.9 million topping estimates, and analysts currently rate the stock a Buy with a consensus price target of $340.09.

Rhenman & Partners Asset Management AB bought a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 7,000 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $1,926,000.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WST. NewEdge Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 1,174 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $333,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 10.8% in the 4th quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 410 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $113,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. RFG Advisory LLC raised its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 2,233 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $586,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Faithward Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Faithward Advisors LLC now owns 11,855 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $3,110,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFM Investors Pty Ltd raised its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 13,730 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $3,778,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at West Pharmaceutical Services

In other West Pharmaceutical Services news, VP Annette F. Favorite sold 2,817 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.20, for a total value of $859,748.40. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 16,828 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,135,905.60. This represents a 14.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CAO Chad Winters sold 896 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 1,523 shares of the company's stock, valued at $457,920.41. The trade was a 37.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.60% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on WST shares. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $360.00 target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Monday, June 1st. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $375.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $340.00 target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Friday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $315.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, 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. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $340.09.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of WST stock opened at $328.33 on Friday. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $206.80 and a 52-week high of $336.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a current ratio of 2.71. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $298.97 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $271.63. The company has a market capitalization of $23.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.89, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.18.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.68 by $0.45. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.85% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The business had revenue of $844.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $779.68 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.45 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 21.0% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Research analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services declared that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Tuesday, February 17th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to repurchase up to 5.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

About West Pharmaceutical Services

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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