West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the fifteen brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $368.0769.

A number of research firms have issued reports on WST. KeyCorp increased their target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Citigroup increased their price objective on West Pharmaceutical Services from $400.00 to $412.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, June 1st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $375.00 target price for the company. Barclays upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $310.00 to $400.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On West Pharmaceutical Services

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WST. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the second quarter valued at $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted 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 worth $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Bayban purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Avalon Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Down 0.8%

WST opened at $339.90 on Monday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $350.55 and a 200-day simple moving average of $306.92. West Pharmaceutical Services has a 52 week low of $223.83 and a 52 week high of $386.00. The company has a quick ratio of 2.12, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm has a market cap of $23.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 1.14.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $872.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $839.98 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.98% and a return on equity of 20.11%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.84 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.140-2.240 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.850-9.050 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that West Pharmaceutical Services will post 8.93 earnings per share for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 29th were issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 29th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s payout ratio is 11.27%.

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.