West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) Now Covered by BNP Paribas Exane

Investment analysts at BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) in a research note issued on Monday, Marketbeat reports. The firm set an “outperform” rating and a $447.00 price target on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. BNP Paribas Exane’s target price points to a potential upside of 26.38% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on WST. Zacks Research upgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $360.00 target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings raised West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Wolfe Research started coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday, June 1st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $375.00 price target for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $363.17.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Down 0.0%

NYSE WST opened at $353.69 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.28, a PEG ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 1.16. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $328.15 and a 200 day simple moving average of $281.94. West Pharmaceutical Services has a 12 month low of $206.80 and a 12 month high of $367.66. The company has a current ratio of 2.71, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.68 by $0.45. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.85% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The firm had revenue of $844.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $779.67 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.45 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.0% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services will post 8.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at West Pharmaceutical Services

In other 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 transaction of $269,400.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 1,523 shares in the company, valued at approximately $457,920.41. This represents a 37.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 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 completion of 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Pharmaceutical Services

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Bayban bought a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Private Trust Co. NA grew its stake 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 valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its holdings 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 valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

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.