West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) Sets New 12-Month High – Here’s Why

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $355.12 and last traded at $355.0050, with a volume of 695751 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $350.85.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WST has been the subject of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings raised West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Barclays raised West Pharmaceutical Services from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $310.00 to $400.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday, June 1st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $375.00 price target on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, West Pharmaceutical Services has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $340.09.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Up 1.2%

The company has a market cap of $25.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 1.18. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $315.55 and its 200-day moving average is $276.26. The company has a current ratio of 2.71, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.68 by $0.45. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.85% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The business had revenue of $844.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $779.67 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.45 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 21.0% on a year-over-year basis. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.400-8.750 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.120 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Annette F. Favorite sold 2,817 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.20, for a total value of $859,748.40. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 16,828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,135,905.60. The trade was a 14.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Chad Winters sold 896 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.67, for a total value of $269,400.32. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,523 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $457,920.41. The trade was a 37.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Pharmaceutical Services

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Bayban acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Private Trust Co. NA raised its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 156.4% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 100 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. DV Equities LLC bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 90.9% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.