West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST – Get Free Report) had its target price increased by analysts at Morgan Stanley from $315.00 to $325.00 in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “equal weight” rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price target indicates a potential upside of 1.52% from the stock’s current price.
A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Friday, April 24th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $340.00 price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $295.00 price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $275.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Two investment 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $324.00.
Read Our Latest Report on West Pharmaceutical Services
West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance
West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.68 by $0.45. The firm had revenue of $844.90 million during 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%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s revenue was up 21.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $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. On average, equities research analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services will post 8.6 earnings per share for the current year.
West Pharmaceutical Services announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 17th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to purchase up to 5.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.
Insider Activity at West Pharmaceutical Services
In related news, VP Annette F. Favorite sold 2,817 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.20, for a total transaction of $859,748.40. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 16,828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,135,905.60. This represents a 14.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Chad Winters sold 896 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.67, for a total transaction of $269,400.32. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,523 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $457,920.41. This represents a 37.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On West Pharmaceutical Services
Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bayban acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Private Trust Co. NA increased its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 156.4% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 100 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the period. DV Equities LLC acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 90.9% in the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.90% of the company’s stock.
West Pharmaceutical Services Company Profile
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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