SG Americas Securities LLC Increases Stock Holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 617.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 26,664 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 22,946 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $6,995,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 193.9% in the second 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 last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 1,842.9% in 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 period. CVA Family Office LLC increased its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 573.3% during the second quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 202 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter worth $47,000. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WST has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group upped their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $320.00 to $355.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Cowen began coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Barclays increased their target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $275.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Rothschild & Co Redburn initiated coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday, September 15th. They set a “buy” rating and a $311.00 price target for the company. Finally, Rothschild Redb upgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $335.78.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

NYSE WST opened at $275.26 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.87 and a quick ratio of 2.18. The company has a market cap of $19.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.78, a P/E/G ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 1.17. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $273.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $257.82. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 1-year low of $187.43 and a 1-year high of $348.90.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.67 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $804.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $788.42 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.29% and a return on equity of 18.16%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.85 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2025 guidance at 7.060-7.110 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 28th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 28th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s payout ratio is 13.04%.

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.