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

Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the fourteen brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $342.20.

Several brokerages have issued reports on WST. Rothschild & Co Redburn started coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday, September 15th. They set a “buy” rating and a $311.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley started coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday, December 1st. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $285.00 price target for the company. TD Cowen began coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. They set a “buy” rating and a $350.00 price objective for the company. Rothschild Redb upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 15th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $320.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th.

Institutional Trading of West Pharmaceutical Services

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WST. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 193.9% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 144 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 1,842.9% in the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 136 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CVA Family Office LLC boosted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 573.3% in the 2nd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 202 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of WST stock opened at $275.24 on Tuesday. West Pharmaceutical Services has a 1 year low of $187.43 and a 1 year high of $348.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.87 and a quick ratio of 2.18. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $274.37 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $252.90. The company has a market cap of $19.80 billion, a PE ratio of 40.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.21 and a beta of 1.17.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.67 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $804.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $788.42 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.29% and a return on equity of 18.16%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.85 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2025 guidance at 7.060-7.110 EPS. Research analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services will post 6.62 earnings per share for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

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

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.