Korea Investment CORP Increases Stock Position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Korea Investment CORP increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 129.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 56,097 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 31,635 shares during the period. Korea Investment CORP owned 0.08% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $14,716,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 193.9% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 144 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the period. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 1,842.9% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 136 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd purchased a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 3rd quarter valued at $47,000. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter valued at $47,000. 93.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on WST shares. Barclays decreased their price objective on West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $265.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, December 1st. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $285.00 target price on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $315.00 target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Friday, February 13th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $295.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $314.56.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Up 1.9%

Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services stock opened at $238.29 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 3.02, a quick ratio of 2.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $187.43 and a 12-month high of $322.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.09, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.17. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $251.55 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $262.02.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $805.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $795.70 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.06% and a return on equity of 17.90%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.82 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.850-8.200 EPS. Analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 29th will be issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 29th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s payout ratio is 12.96%.

West Pharmaceutical Services announced that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, February 17th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical instruments supplier to reacquire up to 5.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

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.