West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) VP Annette Favorite Sells 8,135 Shares

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) VP Annette Favorite sold 8,135 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $340.81, for a total transaction of $2,772,489.35. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 16,845 shares in the company, valued at $5,740,944.45. This represents a 32.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Up 2.4%

WST stock traded up $7.93 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $344.87. 653,058 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 842,303. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $349.29 and a 200 day simple moving average of $309.30. The company has a market capitalization of $24.27 billion, a PE ratio of 44.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.14. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $223.83 and a twelve month high of $386.00. The company has a current ratio of 2.82, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.29. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.98% and a return on equity of 20.11%. The business had revenue of $872.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $839.98 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.84 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.140-2.240 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.850-9.050 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 29th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 29th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 11.27%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WST has been the subject of several research reports. Barclays upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $310.00 to $400.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Citigroup upped their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $400.00 to $412.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, July 13th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $447.00 price objective on the stock. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $373.85.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Pharmaceutical Services

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 90.9% during the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Bayban acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Avalon Trust Co acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the second quarter worth $28,000. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

West Pharmaceutical Services Company Profile

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc (NYSE: WST) develops and manufactures components and systems used to package, contain and deliver injectable medicines and other healthcare products. Its customers include pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies, which use West products in drug administration and medical applications.

The company’s offerings include elastomer components such as stoppers, plungers and seals; syringe and cartridge components; vial and container closure systems; and specialized delivery systems for injectable and other complex medicines.