West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST Stock Holdings Increased by National Pension Service

National Pension Service grew its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 232.2% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 3,980 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 2,782 shares during the period. National Pension Service’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $1,044,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 193.9% during the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 144 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the period. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its position in shares of 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 worth $36,000 after buying an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. CVA Family Office LLC raised its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $47,000. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WST opened at $230.97 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $16.62 billion, a PE ratio of 34.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.18 and a current ratio of 2.87. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $266.44 and a 200-day moving average of $261.75. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a one year low of $187.43 and a one year high of $338.60.

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 28th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio is currently 13.04%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on WST. Zacks Research upgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. TD Cowen began coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. UBS Group boosted their price objective on West Pharmaceutical Services from $320.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Wall Street Zen raised West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 20th. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their target price on West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, West Pharmaceutical Services has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $328.00.

West Pharmaceutical Services Company Profile

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.