Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd Purchases 2,306 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd boosted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 13.4% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 19,488 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,306 shares during the quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $5,112,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of WST. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 193.9% during 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 purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 1,842.9% in the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 136 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd purchased a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $47,000. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $47,000. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Down 1.4%

NYSE WST opened at $237.00 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.34, a current ratio of 3.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The company has a fifty day moving average of $246.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $261.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.90, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 1.17. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $187.43 and a 52 week high of $322.34.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $805.00 million for 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 business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.82 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.850-8.200 EPS. On average, analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 earnings per share for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Tuesday, February 17th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to repurchase up to 5.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

The company 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 $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 29th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio is 12.96%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on WST shares. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $340.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, December 1st. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $285.00 price target on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $295.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Evercore dropped their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $390.00 to $320.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $315.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $314.56.

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.