West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) Rating Lowered to Hold at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research downgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from “strong buy” to “hold,” although the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $368.08.
• West reported quarterly EPS of $2.37, exceeding estimates of $2.08, while revenue rose 13.8% year over year to $872.3 million. The company forecast full-year 2026 EPS of $8.85–$9.05.
• Shares opened at $346.78, with a market capitalization of about $24.4 billion; institutional investors hold approximately 93.9% of the stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

WST has been the topic of a number of other reports. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $400.00 to $412.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Barclays raised shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their price target for the company from $310.00 to $400.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target 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. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $447.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $360.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $368.08.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services stock opened at $346.78 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $24.41 billion, a PE ratio of 44.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 1.15. West Pharmaceutical Services has a 52 week low of $223.83 and a 52 week high of $386.00. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $345.78 and a 200-day moving average price of $295.38. The company has a quick ratio of 2.12, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.29. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 20.11% and a net margin of 16.98%.The company had revenue of $872.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $839.98 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.84 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services'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. Equities analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services will post 8.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Pharmaceutical Services

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Addison Advisors LLC bought a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the second quarter worth about $28,000. Avalon Trust Co bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Bayban bought a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA lifted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 156.4% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 100 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the company's stock.

About West Pharmaceutical Services

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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