West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) Hits New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) shares hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $355.12 and last traded at $355.0050, with a volume of 695751 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $350.85.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Wolfe Research began coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday, June 1st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $375.00 target price for the company. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Zacks Research raised West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $360.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, West Pharmaceutical Services presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $340.09.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Up 1.7%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.71 and a quick ratio of 2.04. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $318.99 and its 200-day moving average price is $277.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 1.16.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.45. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 16.85%.The business had revenue of $844.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $779.67 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.45 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 21.0% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Equities analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at West Pharmaceutical Services

In other West Pharmaceutical Services news, VP Annette F. Favorite sold 2,817 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.20, for a total transaction of $859,748.40. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 16,828 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,135,905.60. This represents a 14.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Chad Winters sold 896 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.67, for a total value of $269,400.32. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,523 shares in the company, valued at $457,920.41. This trade represents a 37.04% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Pharmaceutical Services

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Holocene Advisors LP purchased a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 3rd quarter valued at about $49,085,000. Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 42.7% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 14,950 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $4,122,000 after purchasing an additional 4,477 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 7.7% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 236,963 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $62,163,000 after purchasing an additional 16,919 shares during the last quarter. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 11.5% during the 4th quarter. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC now owns 152,148 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $41,862,000 after purchasing an additional 15,678 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brendel Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,742,000. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.