West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST Shares Sold by Pictet Asset Management Holding SA

Key Points

• West beat quarterly estimates with $2.13 EPS versus $1.68 expected and revenue of $844.9M (up 21% year‑over‑year), set FY2026 EPS guidance of 8.40–8.75, and has prompted analysts to raise targets to an average of $322.89 (MarketBeat: "Moderate Buy").
• Institutional investor Pictet Asset Management cut its stake by 20.0% (sold 38,116 shares) to 151,997 shares worth $41.82M, and company insiders also sold shares (CAO sold 896; VP sold 2,817), which could temper near‑term sentiment.
• The board approved a $1.00 billion share buyback (up to ~5.6% of shares) and declared a $0.22 quarterly dividend (0.3% yield), signaling meaningful capital returns alongside earnings momentum.

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA cut its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 20.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 151,997 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 38,116 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA owned about 0.21% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $41,820,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of WST. Holocene Advisors LP acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the third quarter valued at $49,085,000. Rockland Trust Co. boosted its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 6.5% during the 3rd quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 83,066 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $21,791,000 after acquiring an additional 5,087 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 42.7% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 14,950 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $4,122,000 after acquiring an additional 4,477 shares during the last quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC raised its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 559.8% during the 4th quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 9,521 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $2,620,000 after acquiring an additional 8,078 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 11.5% during the 4th quarter. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC now owns 152,148 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $41,862,000 after acquiring an additional 15,678 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $295.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $340.00 price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley set a $315.00 price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday. Barclays raised their price objective on West Pharmaceutical Services from $275.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, West Pharmaceutical Services presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $322.89.

Insider Activity at West Pharmaceutical Services

In other West Pharmaceutical Services news, CAO Chad Winters sold 896 shares of West Pharmaceutical Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.67, for a total value of $269,400.32. Following the sale, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Annette F. Favorite sold 2,817 shares of West Pharmaceutical Services stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 16,828 shares in the company, valued at $5,135,905.60. This represents a 14.34% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.60% of the company's stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company beat quarterly estimates, reported strong revenue growth and set FY2026 EPS guidance (8.40–8.75) — analysts have been updating estimates upward, supporting the re-rating of WST. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. Just Beat Analyst Forecasts, And Analysts Have Been Updating Their Predictions
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded WST to a Rank #1 (Strong Buy), increasing near-term buyer interest and momentum flows into the stock. West Pharmaceutical (WST) Upgraded to Strong Buy: Here's What You Should Know
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also highlighted WST as a top momentum pick and placed it on its Best Momentum Stocks list, which can attract short-term trading demand. Are You Looking for a Top Momentum Pick? Why West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) is a Great Choice
• Positive Sentiment: Press coverage frames the recent rally as a sustained re-rating after strong quarterly results, helping sentiment and investor interest. From Slide to Surge: How West Pharmaceutical Services Reclaimed Its Mojo in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Management will present at upcoming investor conferences (Bank of America Global Healthcare, William Blair), which gives investors additional access to management commentary and could prolong attention on the name. West to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale — CAO Chad Winters sold 896 shares at ~$300.67 (≈$269.4k); his ownership fell ~37%. Insider selling can create short-term concern on insider conviction. Chad Winters Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale — VP Annette F. Favorite sold 2,817 shares at ~$305.20 (≈$859.7k); her ownership dropped ~14%. Larger-dollar insider sales may temper sentiment despite company fundamentals. Annette F. Favorite Form 4

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of WST stock opened at $295.20 on Thursday. The business's 50 day moving average is $256.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $263.00. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $202.79 and a twelve month high of $322.34. The company has a market capitalization of $20.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a current ratio of 2.71, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.13 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.45. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 16.85%.The company had revenue of $844.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $779.68 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.45 EPS. The company's revenue was up 21.0% on a year-over-year basis. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.400-8.750 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.120 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.6 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 29th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 29th. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 11.76%.

West Pharmaceutical Services announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Tuesday, February 17th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to reacquire up to 5.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

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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