Fox Run Management L.L.C. Has $1.36 Million Holdings in 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, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 5,190 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 2,504 shares during the period. 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.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC now owns 1,091 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $286,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC boosted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 3.5% in the third quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 1,174 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $333,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. RFG Advisory LLC grew its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 2.2% during the third quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 2,233 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $586,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. CX Institutional increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 5.4% during the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 939 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $246,000 after buying an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 2.4% during the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 2,124 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $575,000 after buying an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Friday, January 9th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $340.00 price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $295.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Monday, December 1st. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $285.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $315.00 target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Friday, February 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $314.56.

West Pharmaceutical Services Price Performance

Shares of WST opened at $248.55 on Thursday. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 1 year low of $187.43 and a 1 year high of $322.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 3.02 and a quick ratio of 2.34. The company has a market capitalization of $17.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.18. The business has a 50-day moving average of $257.24 and a 200-day moving average of $261.89.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last announced 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. The business had revenue of $805.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $795.70 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 17.90% and a net margin of 16.06%.The firm’s revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.82 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.850-8.200 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 earnings per share for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

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

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

West Pharmaceutical Services 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.