Fox Run Management L.L.C. Sells 2,504 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Fox Run Management L.L.C. decreased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 32.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,190 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 2,504 shares during the quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C.’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $1,361,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Up 1.3%

WST stock opened at $248.55 on Thursday. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $187.43 and a 52 week high of $322.34. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $257.24 and a 200 day simple moving average of $261.89. 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 market cap of $17.90 billion, a PE ratio of 36.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.18.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.21. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.06% and a return on equity of 17.90%. The firm had revenue of $805.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $795.70 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.82 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.850-8.200 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 29th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 29th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s payout ratio is currently 12.96%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. 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 report on Tuesday, February 3rd. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $340.00 target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Friday, February 13th. Zacks Research raised shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $265.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated 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 investment 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, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $314.56.

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.