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

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) has been given a consensus rating of “Buy” by the thirteen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $326.2222.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley started coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, December 1st. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $285.00 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 20th. Barclays raised their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $275.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $295.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Tuesday.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

West Pharmaceutical Services stock opened at $243.91 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $263.07 and its 200 day simple moving average is $261.84. The company has a current ratio of 2.87, a quick ratio of 2.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.55 billion, a PE ratio of 36.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.43 and a beta of 1.18. West Pharmaceutical Services has a 1-year low of $187.43 and a 1-year high of $325.20.

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 28th were issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 28th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s payout ratio is currently 13.04%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 16.1% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 1,611 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $361,000 after purchasing an additional 224 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 27.7% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,020 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,348,000 after buying an additional 1,307 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 14.1% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,271 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $284,000 after buying an additional 157 shares during the last quarter. Callan Family Office LLC boosted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 75.8% in the second quarter. Callan Family Office LLC now owns 3,469 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $759,000 after buying an additional 1,496 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 55.4% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 289 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $63,000 after buying an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Company Profile

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.