West Pharmaceutical Services' (WST) "Hold (C)" Rating Reaffirmed at Weiss Ratings

Key Points

• West Pharmaceutical Services' stock received a "hold (c)" rating from Weiss Ratings, with analysts predicting a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $321.89.
• The company reported quarterly earnings of $1.84 EPS, surpassing estimates, and revenue of $766.5 million, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 9.2%.
• Institutional investors hold 93.90% of West Pharmaceutical Services' stock, indicating strong institutional interest and confidence in the company.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold (c)" rating reissued by analysts at Weiss Ratings in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Redburn Partners set a $311.00 price objective on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, September 15th. Evercore ISI set a $350.00 price objective on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Rothschild Redb raised West Pharmaceutical Services to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, September 15th. Wall Street Zen upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, July 26th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 23rd. Two investment analysts have 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 data from MarketBeat, West Pharmaceutical Services has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $321.89.

West Pharmaceutical Services Price Performance

Shares of WST traded down $0.11 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $262.37. The stock had a trading volume of 166,819 shares, compared to its average volume of 798,556. The business has a fifty day moving average of $252.88 and a 200 day moving average of $230.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a current ratio of 2.78. The firm has a market cap of $18.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.23, a PEG ratio of 4.65 and a beta of 1.07. West Pharmaceutical Services 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 announced its quarterly earnings data 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. The firm had revenue of $766.50 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $725.11 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.48% and a return on equity of 18.43%. The company's revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.52 EPS. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.650-6.850 EPS. Equities analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services will post 6.62 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the first quarter valued at approximately $329,000. DAVENPORT & Co LLC grew its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 103.8% during the first quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 2,230 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $499,000 after buying an additional 1,136 shares during the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 34.7% during the first quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 5,581 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,249,000 after buying an additional 1,437 shares during the last quarter. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. grew its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 106.5% during the first quarter. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. now owns 53,070 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $11,881,000 after buying an additional 27,370 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First National Bank Sioux Falls grew its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 121.4% during the second quarter. First National Bank Sioux Falls now owns 4,727 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,034,000 after buying an additional 2,592 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the company's stock.

About West Pharmaceutical Services

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.

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