Insider Selling: West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) VP Sells $2,772,489.35 in Stock

Key Points

• Insider sale: West Pharmaceutical Services VP Annette Favorite sold 8,135 shares for approximately $2.77 million, reducing her ownership by 32.57% to 16,845 shares.
• Strong operating results: The company reported quarterly EPS of $2.37, exceeding estimates by $0.29, while revenue rose 13.8% year over year to $872.3 million. Management guided for fiscal 2026 EPS of $8.85–$9.05.
• Market outlook remains positive: Shares recently traded at $344.87, and analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $373.85; the company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.22.

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) VP Annette Favorite sold 8,135 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the vice president owned 16,845 shares in the company, valued at $5,740,944.45. This trade represents a 32.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Up 2.4%

NYSE:WST traded up $7.93 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $344.87. The company's stock had a trading volume of 653,058 shares, compared to its average volume of 842,303. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.82 and a quick ratio of 2.12. The stock has a market cap of $24.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.14. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $349.29 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $309.30. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $223.83 and a twelve month high of $386.00.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $839.98 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.84 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue 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. On average, equities analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.93 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 29th were given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 29th. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 11.27%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On West Pharmaceutical Services

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WST. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 90.9% during the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Bayban purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Avalon Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on WST shares. KeyCorp boosted their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $360.00 price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Zacks Research downgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $400.00 to $412.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $373.85.

West Pharmaceutical Services Company Profile

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.

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