2,455 Shares in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST Acquired by North Dakota State Investment Board

North Dakota State Investment Board purchased a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 2,455 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $675,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of WST. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 156.4% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 100 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Up 3.5%

Shares of NYSE:WST opened at $316.31 on Friday. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 1 year low of $203.74 and a 1 year high of $330.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.71 and a quick ratio of 2.04. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $273.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $265.99.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.68 by $0.45. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 16.85%.The firm had revenue of $844.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $779.68 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.45 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 21.0% on a year-over-year basis. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.400-8.750 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.120 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 17th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to reacquire up to 5.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on WST. 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, February 10th. Zacks Research upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, April 24th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $340.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Evercore restated an “outperform” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $322.89.

Insider Buying and Selling at West Pharmaceutical Services

In other West Pharmaceutical Services news, CAO Chad Winters sold 896 shares of the firm’s 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 in the company, valued at approximately $457,920.41. This trade represents a 37.04% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Annette F. Favorite sold 2,817 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.20, for a total value of $859,748.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 16,828 shares in the company, valued at $5,135,905.60. The trade was a 14.34% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.