Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership Purchases 210,112 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 69.9% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 510,516 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 210,112 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $127,956,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Empowered Funds LLC raised its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 16.1% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 1,611 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $361,000 after purchasing an additional 224 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 27.7% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,020 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,348,000 after buying an additional 1,307 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 14.1% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,271 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $284,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 78.2% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 449 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $98,000 after buying an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 168.4% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 46,332 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $10,137,000 after buying an additional 29,067 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

Shares of WST stock opened at $328.61 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a current ratio of 2.82. The firm has a market cap of $23.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.16. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $223.83 and a 52 week high of $386.00. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $337.02 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $287.43.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.29. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.98% and a return on equity of 20.11%. The firm had revenue of $872.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $839.98 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.84 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.140-2.240 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.850-9.050 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.93 earnings per share for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 29th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 29th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s payout ratio is presently 11.27%.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Annette F. Favorite sold 2,817 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.20, for a total value of $859,748.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 16,828 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,135,905.60. This trade represents a 14.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Chad Winters sold 896 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.67, for a total transaction of $269,400.32. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 1,523 shares in the company, valued at $457,920.41. This represents a 37.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WST has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $360.00 price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $410.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, July 6th. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $447.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $363.17.

More West Pharmaceutical Services News

Here are the key news stories impacting West Pharmaceutical Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: West posted a strong second quarter, with adjusted EPS of $2.37 and revenue of $872.3 million, both above expectations. The company also raised full-year 2026 EPS guidance and gave third-quarter guidance that topped consensus, which supports the longer-term outlook. West Reports Second-Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Demand remains strong for high-value injectable drug components, including products tied to GLP-1 and biologics markets, which helped drive the beat and the higher outlook. Reuters article on raised forecast
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors may be taking profits after the stock’s sharp earnings-driven surge in the prior session, especially since there was no major new negative company announcement or filing behind today’s weakness. Quiver Quantitative article
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent insider sales from two executives may add a small overhang, but the activity is limited and does not appear to be the main driver of the stock’s move. Insider trading details

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.