West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) Shares Cross Above 200 Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST)’s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $330.99 and traded as high as $379.21. West Pharmaceutical Services shares last traded at $374.9340, with a volume of 444,553 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have 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 Friday, August 7th. Citigroup upped their target price on West Pharmaceutical Services from $400.00 to $412.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. TD Cowen raised their target price on West Pharmaceutical Services from $410.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $365.00 to $400.00 in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $340.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $391.17.

West Pharmaceutical Services Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $27.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.14, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.13. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $357.40 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $331.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.82 and a quick ratio of 2.12.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $872.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $839.98 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.84 EPS. 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. As a group, equities analysts expect that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 29th were given a $0.22 dividend. 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 (DPR) is presently 11.27%.

Insider Buying and Selling at West Pharmaceutical Services

In other news, VP Annette Favorite sold 8,135 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $340.81, for a total transaction of $2,772,489.35. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 16,845 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,740,944.45. This represents a 32.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders have sold 15,659 shares of company stock valued at $5,443,749 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 6.8% during the 3rd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 2,609 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $967,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Community Financial Services Group LLC grew its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 60.6% during the 3rd quarter. Community Financial Services Group LLC now owns 151 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 57 shares during the period. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $749,000. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 16.3% during the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,954 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $702,000 after buying an additional 274 shares during the period. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 12.5% during the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 1,886 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $677,000 after buying an additional 209 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

About West Pharmaceutical Services

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc is a global manufacturer of components and systems used in the packaging and delivery of injectable drugs and other healthcare products. The company serves pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device manufacturers.

Its products include elastomer closures, syringe and cartridge components, vial seals, administration systems, drug-delivery components and other specialized packaging solutions. West also provides contract-manufacturing services for certain medical and pharmaceutical products.

Founded in 1923, West Pharmaceutical Services supplies customers through manufacturing and operations in North America, Europe and Asia.