AMI Asset Management Corp Has $42.76 Million Position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

AMI Asset Management Corp reduced its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 163,000 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 2,305 shares during the period. West Pharmaceutical Services makes up approximately 2.4% of AMI Asset Management Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest position. AMI Asset Management Corp owned 0.23% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $42,760,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC grew its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 193.9% in 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 during the last quarter. CVA Family Office LLC raised its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 573.3% during the second quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 202 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the second quarter worth about $47,000. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on WST. KeyCorp increased their price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Redburn Partners set a $311.00 price target on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, September 15th. Rothschild & Co Redburn began coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday, September 15th. They set a “buy” rating and a $311.00 price objective on the stock. Evercore ISI upped their target price on West Pharmaceutical Services from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, TD Cowen assumed coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. They set a “buy” rating and a $350.00 price target on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $342.20.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Down 0.3%

WST stock opened at $276.66 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.90 billion, a PE ratio of 40.99, a P/E/G ratio of 4.13 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a quick ratio of 2.18, a current ratio of 2.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $187.43 and a twelve month high of $348.90. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $275.16 and its 200-day moving average is $253.60.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.67 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $804.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $788.42 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 18.16% and a net margin of 16.29%.West Pharmaceutical Services’s quarterly revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.85 EPS. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2025 guidance at 7.060-7.110 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

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