First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 88.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 27,864 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 13,080 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP's holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $6,984,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 16.1% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 1,611 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $361,000 after acquiring an additional 224 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 27.7% in the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,020 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,348,000 after purchasing an additional 1,307 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 14.1% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,271 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $284,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 78.2% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 449 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $98,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC increased its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 189.4% in the 2nd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 8,773 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,920,000 after buying an additional 5,742 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the company's stock.
West Pharmaceutical Services Price Performance
NYSE WST opened at $341.04 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $24.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.67, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.15. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $223.83 and a 52-week high of $386.00. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $339.80 and a 200 day simple moving average of $289.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a current ratio of 2.82.
West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $872.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.84 earnings per share. 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. Analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 29th will be issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 29th. West Pharmaceutical Services's payout ratio is currently 11.27%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
WST has been the topic of several research reports. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, June 1st. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $375.00 price objective on the stock. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $360.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $364.42.
Read Our Latest Analysis on West Pharmaceutical Services
West Pharmaceutical Services Company Profile
(
Free Report)
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.
Further Reading
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