West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) Hits New 12-Month High - Here's Why

Key Points

• West Pharmaceutical Services reached a new 52-week high, trading as high as $386.26, supported by strong analyst sentiment. Twelve analysts rate the stock a Buy, two rate it a Hold, and the consensus price target is $391.17.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting adjusted EPS of $2.37 versus the $2.08 consensus and revenue of $872.3 million, up 13.8% year over year. Analysts expect full-year 2026 EPS of approximately $8.93.
• West declared a quarterly dividend of $0.22 per share, equivalent to an annualized $0.88 payout and a 0.2% yield. Meanwhile, insiders sold 15,659 shares worth roughly $5.44 million over the past 90 days, while institutional investors own 93.9% of the stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Friday. The company traded as high as $386.26 and last traded at $385.6010, with a volume of 85,463 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $383.02.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WST has been the subject of several analyst reports. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $400.00 to $412.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. KeyCorp upped their price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Monday, July 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $447.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised West Pharmaceutical Services from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their price objective for the company from $365.00 to $400.00 in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $410.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $391.17.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Down 0.1%

The firm has a market capitalization of $26.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a current ratio of 2.82, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $357.40 and a 200-day simple moving average of $331.97.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $872.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $839.98 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 20.11% and a net margin of 16.98%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.84 earnings per share. 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 research analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 29th were given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 29th. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio is presently 11.27%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Annette Favorite sold 8,135 shares of West Pharmaceutical Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $340.81, for a total value of $2,772,489.35. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 16,845 shares in the company, valued at $5,740,944.45. This trade represents a 32.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders have sold a total of 15,659 shares of company stock worth $5,443,749 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of WST. Addison Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Avalon Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Bayban acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its position 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 buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 1,377.8% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 133 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the period. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About West Pharmaceutical Services

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc is a global manufacturer of components and systems used in the packaging and delivery of injectable drugs and other healthcare products. The company serves pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device manufacturers.

Its products include elastomer closures, syringe and cartridge components, vial seals, administration systems, drug-delivery components and other specialized packaging solutions. West also provides contract-manufacturing services for certain medical and pharmaceutical products.

Founded in 1923, West Pharmaceutical Services supplies customers through manufacturing and operations in North America, Europe and Asia.

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