Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Lowers Stake in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lessened its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 188,495 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 3,148 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned approximately 0.26% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $49,448,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 16.7% in the 3rd quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 69,775 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $18,304,000 after buying an additional 10,009 shares in the last quarter. Amundi lifted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 83.4% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 502,831 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $111,236,000 after acquiring an additional 228,696 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,610,000. North Growth Management Ltd. boosted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 17.2% in the third quarter. North Growth Management Ltd. now owns 34,000 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $8,930,000 after acquiring an additional 5,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 87.4% in the third quarter. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC now owns 136,470 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $35,800,000 after purchasing an additional 63,638 shares during the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of WST stock opened at $279.59 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $273.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $259.32. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $20.11 billion, a PE ratio of 41.42, a P/E/G ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 1.17. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $187.43 and a fifty-two week high of $348.90.

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

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WST has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, December 20th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday, December 1st. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $285.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Friday, January 9th. KeyCorp boosted their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 23rd. Two equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $335.78.

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.