Engineers Gate Manager LP increased its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 486.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 18,868 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 15,653 shares during the period. Engineers Gate Manager LP's holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $6,774,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 90.9% in 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 during the period. Bayban acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Avalon Trust Co bought a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance
WST opened at $345.49 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $24.31 billion, a PE ratio of 44.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.14. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $348.46 and a 200-day moving average of $310.28. 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 quick ratio of 2.12 and a current ratio of 2.82.
West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.98% and a return on equity of 20.11%. The business had revenue of $872.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $839.98 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.84 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services's revenue for the quarter was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. 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, equities research analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 29th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date was 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 currently 11.27%.
Insider Activity at West Pharmaceutical Services
In other West Pharmaceutical Services news, VP Annette Favorite sold 8,135 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $340.81, for a total value of $2,772,489.35. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 16,845 shares in the company, valued at $5,740,944.45. This represents a 32.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of research firms recently issued reports on WST. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Monday, June 1st. They set an "outperform" rating and a $375.00 target price on the stock. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $360.00 price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $447.00 price objective for the company. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $373.85.
Read Our Latest Analysis on WST
West Pharmaceutical Services Profile
(
Free Report)
West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc NYSE: WST develops and manufactures components and systems used to package, contain and deliver injectable medicines and other healthcare products. Its customers include pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies, which use West products in drug administration and medical applications.
The company's offerings include elastomer components such as stoppers, plungers and seals; syringe and cartridge components; vial and container closure systems; and specialized delivery systems for injectable and other complex medicines.
See Also
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