Van ECK Associates Corp Has $217.11 Million Holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Key Points

• Van ECK Associates reduced its West Pharmaceutical Services position by 15.3% in the second quarter, selling 108,825 shares and retaining 604,754 shares valued at approximately $217.1 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 93.9% of WST.
• West Pharmaceutical Services exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.37 in EPS versus the $2.08 consensus and revenue of $872.3 million, up 13.8% year over year. The company guided for fiscal 2026 EPS of $8.85–$9.05.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $368.08, while the company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.22, equivalent to a 0.3% yield.

Van ECK Associates Corp trimmed its position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 15.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 604,754 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 108,825 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp owned approximately 0.86% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $217,107,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 90.9% during the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Bayban purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, DV Equities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.90% of the company's stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

West Pharmaceutical Services stock opened at $338.21 on Friday. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $223.83 and a 52-week high of $386.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.82 and a quick ratio of 2.12. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $350.55 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $303.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.30, a P/E/G ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.15.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $872.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $839.98 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.98% and a return on equity of 20.11%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.84 EPS. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.140-2.240 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.850-9.050 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 29th were given a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 29th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. West Pharmaceutical Services's payout ratio is presently 11.27%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on WST. KeyCorp lifted their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $360.00 target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday, June 1st. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $375.00 target price for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $368.08.

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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