Twin Tree Management LP Sells 34,717 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Key Points

• Twin Tree Management LP has significantly reduced its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. by 59.8%, selling 34,717 shares in the second quarter, now holding only 23,299 shares valued at approximately $5.1 million.
• Several analysts have shown positive sentiment towards West Pharmaceutical Services, with UBS Group raising its price target from $285.00 to $320.00, and a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" among analysts.
• The company recently announced an increase in its quarterly dividend from $0.21 to $0.22, reflecting a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%.

Twin Tree Management LP decreased its position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 59.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 23,299 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 34,717 shares during the quarter. Twin Tree Management LP's holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $5,098,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 85.0% in the first quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 185 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC lifted its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 587.5% in the second quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 220 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group boosted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 83.3% during the first quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 275 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on WST shares. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $285.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note 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. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Tuesday. Rothschild Redb raised West Pharmaceutical Services to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Finally, Evercore ISI set a $350.00 price target on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $321.89.

West Pharmaceutical Services Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WST opened at $263.18 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.08, a current ratio of 2.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The business's 50 day moving average price is $253.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $230.72. The company has a market cap of $18.93 billion, a PE ratio of 39.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.64 and a beta of 1.07. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $187.43 and a twelve 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 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.33. The company had revenue of $766.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $725.11 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 18.43% and a net margin of 16.48%.The firm'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 company posted $1.52 EPS. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.650-6.850 EPS. On average, analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

The business 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 12th. 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%. West Pharmaceutical Services's payout ratio is currently 12.57%.

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.

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