West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) Downgraded by Zacks Research to “Hold”

Zacks Research downgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $400.00 to $412.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, June 1st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $375.00 price objective for the company. Barclays raised shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $310.00 to $400.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $368.08.

West Pharmaceutical Services Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WST opened at $346.78 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a current ratio of 2.82. West Pharmaceutical Services has a one year low of $223.83 and a one year high of $386.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.40, a PEG ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 1.15. The company’s fifty day moving average is $345.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $295.38.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $872.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $839.98 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.84 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. Analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services will post 8.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Pharmaceutical Services

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cibc World Market Inc. bought a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter valued at about $6,029,000. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,009,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,492,000. Barbara Oil Co. bought a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,339,000. Finally, Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $4,635,000. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About West Pharmaceutical Services

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.