Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST – Get Free Report) have been given an average recommendation of “Buy” by the fifteen research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $368.0769.
A number of analysts recently issued reports on WST shares. Wolfe Research began coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Monday, June 1st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $375.00 price target for the company. Zacks Research upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Barclays raised West Pharmaceutical Services from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $310.00 to $400.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $425.00 price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, July 27th.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on West Pharmaceutical Services
West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Down 0.5%
West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $872.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $839.98 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.98% and a return on equity of 20.11%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.84 EPS. 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, research analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services will post 8.94 EPS for the current year.
West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders 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 was Wednesday, July 29th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 11.27%.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On West Pharmaceutical Services
Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Brendel Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the fourth quarter worth $3,742,000. Bank of Nova Scotia increased its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 337.8% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 65,323 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $16,373,000 after acquiring an additional 50,402 shares during the period. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 11.5% in the 4th quarter. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC now owns 152,148 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $41,862,000 after acquiring an additional 15,678 shares during the period. Annex Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 8.7% in the 4th quarter. Annex Advisory Services LLC now owns 122,958 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $33,831,000 after acquiring an additional 9,800 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 23.3% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 146,872 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $40,425,000 after acquiring an additional 27,745 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.
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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