Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Reduces Holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lowered its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 33.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 29,210 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 14,656 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $6,391,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Generation Investment Management LLP purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the second quarter valued at approximately $255,072,000. Durable Capital Partners LP raised its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 146.8% in the 1st quarter. Durable Capital Partners LP now owns 1,573,119 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $352,190,000 after purchasing an additional 935,721 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter worth $200,813,000. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC grew its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 57.8% during the 1st quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 997,882 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $223,406,000 after purchasing an additional 365,575 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 43.5% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,134,706 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $254,038,000 after purchasing an additional 343,997 shares during the period. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of WST stock opened at $268.24 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $273.92 and its 200 day moving average price is $251.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.30 billion, a PE ratio of 39.74, a P/E/G ratio of 4.16 and a beta of 1.17. 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.

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

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WST has been the subject of several recent research reports. KeyCorp increased their target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. UBS Group increased their price objective on West Pharmaceutical Services from $320.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Zacks Research lowered West Pharmaceutical Services from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 23rd. Rothschild & Co Redburn assumed coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, September 15th. They set a “buy” rating and a $311.00 price target for the company. Finally, Rothschild Redb upgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $342.20.

About West Pharmaceutical Services

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.