Zacks Research Analysts Raise Earnings Estimates for WST

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its Q2 2026 EPS estimate for West Pharmaceutical Services to $2.06 from $1.98 and kept a Strong-Buy rating on the stock. The firm also lifted longer-term earnings forecasts through FY2028.
• West Pharmaceutical Services recently beat quarterly expectations, reporting $2.13 EPS and $844.9 million in revenue, both above analyst estimates. The company also guided FY 2026 EPS to $8.40-$8.75 and Q2 2026 EPS to $2.05-$2.12.
• Sentiment remains broadly positive, with multiple analysts maintaining buy-type ratings and an average target price of $322.89. The company is also supported by a $1 billion share repurchase program, though some insiders recently sold shares.

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q2 2026 EPS estimates for shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report released on Thursday, May 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the medical instruments supplier will post earnings of $2.06 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $1.98. Zacks Research currently has a "Strong-Buy" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for West Pharmaceutical Services' current full-year earnings is $8.61 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for West Pharmaceutical Services' Q3 2026 earnings at $2.10 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $2.20 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.09 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $9.24 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $2.23 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $10.48 EPS.

WST has been the topic of several other research reports. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $295.00 target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $315.00 target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Barclays boosted their target price on West Pharmaceutical Services from $275.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, West Pharmaceutical Services currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $322.89.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Up 0.1%

WST stock opened at $303.10 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $21.41 billion, a PE ratio of 40.52, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a current ratio of 2.71. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $268.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $265.28. West Pharmaceutical Services has a one year low of $203.74 and a one year high of $330.88.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.45. The firm had revenue of $844.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $779.68 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.85% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 21.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.45 EPS. 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.

Institutional Trading of West Pharmaceutical Services

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wealth Alliance LLC increased its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 3.8% during the first quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC now owns 945 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $237,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 3.7% during the third quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC now owns 1,091 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $286,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. NewEdge Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 3.5% during the third quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 1,174 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $333,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Darwin Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 10.8% during the fourth quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 410 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $113,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Finally, IFM Investors Pty Ltd increased its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 0.3% during the first quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 13,773 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $3,452,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.90% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other West Pharmaceutical Services news, VP Annette F. Favorite sold 2,817 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.20, for a total value of $859,748.40. Following the sale, the vice president owned 16,828 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,135,905.60. The trade was a 14.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Chad Winters sold 896 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.67, for a total value of $269,400.32. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,523 shares in the company, valued at approximately $457,920.41. The trade was a 37.04% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

West Pharmaceutical Services announced that its board has authorized 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 a sign that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

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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