West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST Position Reduced by Voya Investment Management LLC

Voya Investment Management LLC reduced its position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 2.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 34,169 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 809 shares during the period. Voya Investment Management LLC’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $7,650,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT purchased a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the first quarter worth $27,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 85.0% during the first quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 185 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the first quarter valued at $53,000. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 248.0% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 261 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Rothschild Redb raised West Pharmaceutical Services to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $285.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 25th. Redburn Partners set a $311.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday. Barclays started coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Tuesday, June 24th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $245.00 target price for the company. Finally, Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $318.56.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:WST opened at $256.50 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 2.78, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.44 billion, a PE ratio of 38.40, a P/E/G ratio of 4.58 and a beta of 1.05. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 1 year low of $187.43 and a 1 year high of $352.33. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $243.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $226.05.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.84 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.33. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.48% and a return on equity of 18.43%. The firm had revenue of $766.50 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $725.11 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.52 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.650-6.850 EPS. Analysts expect that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th will be issued a $0.22 dividend. This is an increase from West Pharmaceutical Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 12th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s payout ratio is 12.57%.

West Pharmaceutical Services Company Profile

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc designs, manufactures, and sells containment and delivery systems for injectable drugs and healthcare products in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in two segments, Proprietary Products and Contract-Manufactured Products.