Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Purchases 1,117 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lifted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 20.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,698 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 1,117 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $1,466,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WST. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Quarry LP bought a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. boosted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 85.0% during the first quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 185 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the first quarter worth approximately $53,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group boosted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 83.3% during the first quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 275 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WST opened at $266.37 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $251.07 and a 200 day simple moving average of $229.20. The company has a current ratio of 2.78, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.88, a PEG ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 1.07. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a one year low of $187.43 and a one year high of $352.33.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.84 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.33. The business had revenue of $766.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $725.11 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 18.43% and a net margin of 16.48%.West Pharmaceutical Services’s revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.52 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.650-6.850 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This is an increase from West Pharmaceutical Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 12th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio is currently 12.57%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. UBS Group upped their target price on West Pharmaceutical Services from $285.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 25th. Rothschild Redb raised West Pharmaceutical Services to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Evercore ISI set a $350.00 price objective on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Tuesday. Zacks Research cut West Pharmaceutical Services from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 23rd. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn initiated coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday, September 15th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $311.00 price objective for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $321.89.

West Pharmaceutical Services Profile

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc designs, manufactures, and sells containment and delivery systems for injectable drugs and healthcare products in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in two segments, Proprietary Products and Contract-Manufactured Products.