West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the fourteen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eight have assigned a buy recommendation and two have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $342.20.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on WST. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $350.00 price objective for the company. Cowen assumed coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Rothschild Redb upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 15th. Evercore ISI increased their target price on West Pharmaceutical Services from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Redburn Partners set a $311.00 price target on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, September 15th.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of WST opened at $275.48 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $275.27 and its 200 day moving average price is $254.70. The company has a quick ratio of 2.18, a current ratio of 2.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.81, a P/E/G ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 1.17. West Pharmaceutical Services has a 12-month low of $187.43 and a 12-month high of $348.90.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.67 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $804.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $788.42 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 18.16% and a net margin of 16.29%.West Pharmaceutical Services’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.85 EPS. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2025 guidance at 7.060-7.110 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services will post 6.62 earnings per share for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 28th will be issued a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 28th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 13.04%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Pharmaceutical Services

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WST. Keel Point LLC increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 17.0% during the third quarter. Keel Point LLC now owns 1,101 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $289,000 after buying an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 68.5% during the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 770 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $202,000 after acquiring an additional 313 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 98.2% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 218 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd raised its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 13.4% in the 3rd quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 19,488 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $5,112,000 after purchasing an additional 2,306 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Groupama Asset Managment bought a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 3rd quarter valued at $427,000. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.