Key Points
- West Pharmaceutical Services VP Annette Favorite sold 8,135 shares at an average price of $340.81, generating approximately $2.77 million. The transaction reduced her direct holdings by 32.57% to 16,845 shares.
- The company reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $2.37 exceeding estimates of $2.08 and revenue rising 13.8% year over year to $872.3 million. Management guided for fiscal 2026 EPS of $8.85–$9.05.
- Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $373.85; institutional investors own 93.9% of the stock.
West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) VP Annette Favorite sold 8,135 shares of the business's 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 16,845 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,740,944.45. This trade represents a 32.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.
West Pharmaceutical Services Price Performance
WST opened at $344.87 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a current ratio of 2.82. The stock has a market capitalization 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 50-day simple moving average is $348.87 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $310.03. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $223.83 and a 52-week high of $386.00.
West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $872.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $839.98 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.84 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter 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. As a group, analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.93 EPS for the current year.
West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 29th were issued a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 29th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 11.27%.
Institutional Trading of West Pharmaceutical Services
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WST. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 36,590.8% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 40,592,489 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $14,572,704,000 after purchasing an additional 40,481,855 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter worth $2,387,990,000. State Street Corp grew its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 2.1% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,271,866 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $715,884,000 after purchasing an additional 68,330 shares during the period. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership grew its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 2,850,401 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $784,259,000 after purchasing an additional 79,481 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the second quarter worth about $733,733,000. 93.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research lowered shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. UBS Group raised their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $340.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Monday, July 13th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $447.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup upped their price objective on West Pharmaceutical Services from $400.00 to $412.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $373.85.
Read Our Latest Research Report on West Pharmaceutical Services
West Pharmaceutical Services Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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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