UniSuper Management Pty Ltd Has $2.21 Million Stock Holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Key Points

• UniSuper Management Pty Ltd increased its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 20.9%, totaling $2.21 million worth of shares.
• Analysts have generally rated the stock positively, with several upgrades and a consensus target price of $320.71.
• West Pharmaceutical Services announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.22 per share, with a current yield of 0.3%.

UniSuper Management Pty Ltd raised its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 20.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 9,861 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 1,702 shares during the period. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd's holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $2,208,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WST. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 1st quarter valued at $53,000. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of WST opened at $255.58 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $18.38 billion, a PE ratio of 38.26, a PEG ratio of 4.47 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. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $239.57 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $224.86. The company has a current ratio of 2.78, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last announced 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 firm had revenue of $766.50 million for 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 business's quarterly revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.52 EPS. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.650-6.850 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. 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. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 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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