West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) Given Consensus Rating of “Buy” by Analysts

Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) have received an average recommendation of “Buy” from the thirteen research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $314.5556.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on WST. Zacks Research raised shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $295.00 target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $315.00 target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $265.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

Shares of WST opened at $253.20 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $18.25 billion, a PE ratio of 37.29, a PEG ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 2.34 and a current ratio of 3.02. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $243.04 and its 200 day moving average price is $261.27. West Pharmaceutical Services has a 52 week low of $187.43 and a 52 week high of $322.34.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $805.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $795.70 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.06% and a return on equity of 17.90%. The company’s revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.82 EPS. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.850-8.200 EPS. Research analysts expect that West Pharmaceutical Services will post 6.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 17th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to reacquire up to 5.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 29th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 29th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.96%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Pharmaceutical Services

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Bayban acquired a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Private Trust Co. NA increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 156.4% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 100 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. DV Equities LLC bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.