Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Acquires 39,745 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. raised its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 7.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 545,050 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 39,745 shares during the quarter. West Pharmaceutical Services accounts for 0.8% of Epoch Investment Partners Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. owned approximately 0.77% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $136,611,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the second quarter worth about $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 90.9% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. Bayban purchased a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA boosted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 156.4% in the fourth 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. 93.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

West Pharmaceutical Services News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting West Pharmaceutical Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: West posted a strong second quarter, with adjusted EPS of $2.37 and revenue of $872.3 million, both above expectations. The company also raised full-year 2026 EPS guidance and gave third-quarter guidance that topped consensus, which supports the longer-term outlook. West Reports Second-Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Demand remains strong for high-value injectable drug components, including products tied to GLP-1 and biologics markets, which helped drive the beat and the higher outlook. Reuters article on raised forecast
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors may be taking profits after the stock’s sharp earnings-driven surge in the prior session, especially since there was no major new negative company announcement or filing behind today’s weakness. Quiver Quantitative article
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent insider sales from two executives may add a small overhang, but the activity is limited and does not appear to be the main driver of the stock’s move. Insider trading details

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on WST. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. KeyCorp upped their price objective on West Pharmaceutical Services from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Zacks Research upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $363.17.

Insider Buying and Selling at West Pharmaceutical Services

In related news, CAO Chad Winters sold 896 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.67, for a total value of $269,400.32. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 1,523 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $457,920.41. This represents a 37.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Annette F. Favorite sold 2,817 shares of West Pharmaceutical Services stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.20, for a total value of $859,748.40. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 16,828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,135,905.60. This trade represents a 14.34% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

NYSE:WST opened at $328.61 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $337.02 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $287.43. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $223.83 and a twelve month high of $386.00. The stock has a market cap of $23.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.08, a PEG ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a quick ratio of 2.04, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $872.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $839.98 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 20.11% and a net margin of 16.98%.West Pharmaceutical Services’s revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.84 earnings per share. 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. As a group, equities analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 29th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 29th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 11.76%.

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.