Amundi Sells 57,646 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Key Points

• Amundi has reduced its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 17.4%, now holding around 274,135 shares valued at approximately $60.3 million.
• West Pharmaceutical reported $1.84 earnings per share for the latest quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations and reflecting a 9.2% revenue growth year-over-year.
• The company announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.22, representing a yield of 0.4%, with the ex-dividend date set for November 12th.

Amundi decreased its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 17.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 274,135 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 57,646 shares during the quarter. Amundi owned approximately 0.38% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $60,301,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 1st quarter worth $27,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. boosted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 85.0% during the 1st quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 185 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 1st quarter worth $53,000. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC boosted its position in 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 buying an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.90% of the company's stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Price Performance

West Pharmaceutical Services stock traded up $3.54 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $255.58. 821,384 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 822,053. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.26, a P/E/G ratio of 4.49 and a beta of 1.05. The business's 50-day moving average is $238.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $224.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a current ratio of 2.78. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 12 month low of $187.43 and a 12 month high of $352.33.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.84 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.33. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.48% and a return on equity of 18.43%. The business had revenue of $766.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $725.11 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.52 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services's revenue was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.650-6.850 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 19th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 12th. This is a positive change from West Pharmaceutical Services's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 13.17%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

West Pharmaceutical Services 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.