Rakuten Investment Management Inc. Takes $24.68 Million Position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 94,069 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $24,677,000. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. owned approximately 0.13% of West Pharmaceutical Services as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Generation Investment Management LLP purchased a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter worth about $255,072,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $200,813,000. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 46.8% in the second quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 738,368 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $161,555,000 after buying an additional 235,272 shares in the last quarter. Amundi grew 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. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter worth approximately $30,592,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Down 3.8%

NYSE WST opened at $249.93 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $17.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.59 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. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $271.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $260.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.18 and a current ratio of 2.87.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $804.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $788.42 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.85 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2025 guidance at 7.060-7.110 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 earnings per share for the current year.

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 given a $0.22 dividend. 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 (DPR) is currently 13.04%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on WST shares. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $350.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Friday, January 9th. KeyCorp increased their target price on West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Barclays raised their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $275.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus 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.