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

SG Americas Securities LLC raised its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 617.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor 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 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its stake 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 worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its stake 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 last quarter. CVA Family Office LLC grew its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 573.3% during the 2nd 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 in the last quarter. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

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. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 1 year low of $187.43 and a 1 year high of $348.90. The company has a market capitalization of $19.80 billion, a PE ratio of 40.78, a P/E/G ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a fifty day moving average of $273.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $257.82.

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

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on WST shares. Cowen began coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. KeyCorp increased their target price on West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Redburn Partners set a $311.00 price target on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, September 15th. UBS Group lifted their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $320.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, December 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $335.78.

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.