Barclays PLC Sells 59,572 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Barclays PLC trimmed its position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 29.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 140,016 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 59,572 shares during the period. Barclays PLC owned approximately 0.19% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $36,730,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 193.9% in the 2nd 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. boosted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 1,842.9% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 136 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 129 shares during the last quarter. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $47,000. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $47,000. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

West Pharmaceutical Services Price Performance

Shares of WST opened at $233.52 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $16.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.39, a PEG ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.17. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 1-year low of $187.43 and a 1-year high of $322.34. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $252.30 and its 200 day simple moving average is $262.19. The company has a current ratio of 3.02, a quick ratio of 2.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06.

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

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 29th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 29th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 12.96%.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WST has been the topic of a number of research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $315.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $265.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Evercore lowered their price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $390.00 to $320.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of 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. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $295.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $314.56.

West Pharmaceutical Services 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.