United Capital Financial Advisors LLC Buys New Position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

United Capital Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 3,712 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $1,333,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 90.9% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Bayban purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Avalon Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

West Pharmaceutical Services Price Performance

WST opened at $338.21 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $350.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $303.61. The company has a current ratio of 2.82, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 1 year low of $223.83 and a 1 year high of $386.00. The stock has a market cap of $23.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.30, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.15.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 20.11% and a net margin of 16.98%.The business had revenue of $872.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $839.98 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.84 EPS. The firm’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. Analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.93 EPS for the current fiscal 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 given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 29th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s payout ratio is currently 11.27%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $425.00 target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Monday, July 27th. Zacks Research lowered shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of 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. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $368.08.

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.