Key Points
- Insider sale: VP Annette Favorite sold 2,500 West Pharmaceutical Services shares for $862,500 at an average price of $345 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing her stake by 10.28%.
- Strong financial performance: West Pharmaceutical Services reported quarterly EPS of $2.37, beating estimates by $0.29, while revenue rose 13.8% year over year to $872.3 million. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $8.85–$9.05.
- Positive market sentiment: Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $379.08, while institutional investors own 93.9% of the company’s shares.
West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) VP Annette Favorite sold 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, September 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $345.00, for a total transaction of $862,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 21,818 shares in the company, valued at $7,527,210. This trade represents a 10.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Up 2.6%
Shares of WST opened at $364.36 on Wednesday. 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 $348.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $312.34. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 1 year low of $223.83 and a 1 year high of $386.00. The stock has a market cap of $25.64 billion, a PE ratio of 46.65, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.14.
West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $839.98 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.84 earnings per share. The business's 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. On average, sell-side analysts predict 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. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 29th were issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 29th. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 11.27%.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,387,990,000. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership lifted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 2.9% in 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 buying an additional 79,481 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the second quarter valued at approximately $733,733,000. Generation Investment Management LLP bought a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter worth $728,168,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,869,086 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $512,250,000 after acquiring an additional 11,962 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.90% of the company's stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $425.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Monday, July 27th. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $360.00 price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Weiss Ratings raised West Pharmaceutical Services from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on West Pharmaceutical Services from $400.00 to $412.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $379.08.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on West Pharmaceutical Services
About West Pharmaceutical Services
(
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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