Bayforest Capital Ltd Purchases 258 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Bayforest Capital Ltd boosted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 96.6% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 525 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 258 shares during the quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $115,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the first quarter valued at $27,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 85.0% in the 1st quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 185 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC increased its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 587.5% in the 2nd quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 220 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 188 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group lifted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 83.3% during the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 275 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $61,000 after buying an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Up 1.1%

WST stock opened at $270.25 on Friday. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 1-year low of $187.43 and a 1-year high of $352.33. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $254.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $231.36. The company has a current ratio of 2.78, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.43 billion, a PE ratio of 40.46, a PEG ratio of 4.74 and a beta of 1.07.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.84 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.33. The firm had revenue of $766.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $725.11 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.48% and a return on equity of 18.43%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.52 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.650-6.850 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. This is an increase from West Pharmaceutical Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 12th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio is 12.57%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on WST. Rothschild & Co Redburn started coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday, September 15th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $311.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group boosted their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $285.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 25th. Evercore ISI set a $350.00 price objective on West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Finally, Redburn Partners set a $311.00 price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $321.89.

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.