West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST Shares Purchased by Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 165,073 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,217 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.23% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $43,304,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the third quarter worth about $47,000. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter worth about $47,000. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of NYSE WST opened at $254.10 on Friday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $18.30 billion, a PE ratio of 37.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.18. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $256.49 and a 200-day moving average of $262.05. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $187.43 and a 52-week high of $322.34.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $805.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 quarterly revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.82 EPS. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.850-8.200 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Tuesday, February 17th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical instruments supplier to purchase up to 5.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

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 $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 29th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.96%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Friday, January 9th. 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $315.00 target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, February 13th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $340.00 price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 20th. Three 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, West Pharmaceutical Services has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $314.56.

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.