West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST Shares Sold by KBC Group NV

KBC Group NV decreased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 55.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,610 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 11,791 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $2,409,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in WST. Darwin Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 10.8% during the fourth quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 410 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $113,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd grew its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 0.3% in the first quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 13,773 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $3,452,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 905 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $249,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 90.9% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 1.7% in the second quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 3,021 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $661,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on WST. Zacks Research upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $360.00 price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Two research 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, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $363.17.

Insider Buying and Selling at West Pharmaceutical Services

In other news, VP Annette F. Favorite sold 2,817 shares of West Pharmaceutical Services stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.20, for a total transaction of $859,748.40. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 16,828 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,135,905.60. The trade was a 14.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Chad Winters sold 896 shares of West Pharmaceutical Services stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The shares were 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 $457,920.41. This represents a 37.04% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Down 7.6%

WST stock opened at $328.61 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.82 and a quick ratio of 2.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 1.16. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $223.83 and a 52-week high of $386.00. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $337.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $287.43.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.29. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.98% and a return on equity of 20.11%. The firm had revenue of $872.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $839.98 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.84 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. 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. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.95 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 29th will be given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 29th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 11.76%.

Key Headlines Impacting West Pharmaceutical Services

Here are the key news stories impacting West Pharmaceutical Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: West posted a strong second quarter, with adjusted EPS of $2.37 and revenue of $872.3 million, both above expectations. The company also raised full-year 2026 EPS guidance and gave third-quarter guidance that topped consensus, which supports the longer-term outlook. West Reports Second-Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Demand remains strong for high-value injectable drug components, including products tied to GLP-1 and biologics markets, which helped drive the beat and the higher outlook. Reuters article on raised forecast
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors may be taking profits after the stock’s sharp earnings-driven surge in the prior session, especially since there was no major new negative company announcement or filing behind today’s weakness. Quiver Quantitative article
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent insider sales from two executives may add a small overhang, but the activity is limited and does not appear to be the main driver of the stock’s move. Insider trading details

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.