West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST Shares Acquired by Bank of Nova Scotia

Key Points

• Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 337.8% in the first quarter, ending with 65,323 shares valued at about $16.4 million.
• West Pharmaceutical Services reported better-than-expected second-quarter results, with EPS of $2.37 and revenue of $872.3 million, while also raising its 2026 guidance after strong demand for injectable drug components.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.22 per share, payable on August 5, and the stock also saw recent insider selling along with several bullish analyst ratings and a consensus Buy target of $363.17.

Bank of Nova Scotia increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 337.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 65,323 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 50,402 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia owned about 0.09% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $16,373,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 90.9% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Bayban acquired a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA raised its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 156.4% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 100 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.90% of the company's stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Down 7.6%

Shares of NYSE WST opened at $328.61 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $23.22 billion, a PE ratio of 42.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a current ratio of 2.82, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $223.83 and a 12-month high of $386.00. The company has a 50-day moving average of $337.02 and a 200 day moving average of $287.43.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $872.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $839.98 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.98% and a return on equity of 20.11%. The business's revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period 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, sell-side analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.93 EPS 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. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 29th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 29th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 11.27%.

Key Headlines Impacting West Pharmaceutical Services

Here are the key news stories impacting West Pharmaceutical Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: West posted a strong second quarter, with adjusted EPS of $2.37 and revenue of $872.3 million, both above expectations. The company also raised full-year 2026 EPS guidance and gave third-quarter guidance that topped consensus, which supports the longer-term outlook. West Reports Second-Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Demand remains strong for high-value injectable drug components, including products tied to GLP-1 and biologics markets, which helped drive the beat and the higher outlook. Reuters article on raised forecast
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors may be taking profits after the stock’s sharp earnings-driven surge in the prior session, especially since there was no major new negative company announcement or filing behind today’s weakness. Quiver Quantitative article
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent insider sales from two executives may add a small overhang, but the activity is limited and does not appear to be the main driver of the stock’s move. Insider trading details

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other West Pharmaceutical Services news, CAO Chad Winters sold 896 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.67, for a total transaction of $269,400.32. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 1,523 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $457,920.41. The trade was a 37.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Annette F. Favorite sold 2,817 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 owned 16,828 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,135,905.60. The trade was a 14.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.60% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Monday, July 13th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $447.00 price objective on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Wolfe Research began coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, June 1st. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $375.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised West Pharmaceutical Services from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $363.17.

West Pharmaceutical Services Profile

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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