Generation Investment Management LLP Sells 189,763 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Generation Investment Management LLP reduced its position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 16.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 976,014 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 189,763 shares during the quarter. West Pharmaceutical Services makes up about 1.7% of Generation Investment Management LLP’s holdings, making the stock its 19th largest position. Generation Investment Management LLP owned about 1.36% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $256,038,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Rockland Trust Co. boosted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 6.5% during the third quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 83,066 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $21,791,000 after purchasing an additional 5,087 shares during the period. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 16.7% during 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. Truist Financial Corp boosted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 73.7% in the 3rd quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 29,107 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $7,636,000 after buying an additional 12,348 shares during the period. Cibc World Market Inc. grew its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 300.0% in the 3rd quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 18,586 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $4,876,000 after buying an additional 13,940 shares in the last quarter. Finally, North Growth Management Ltd. raised its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 17.2% during the 3rd 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 during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

Shares of WST opened at $244.00 on Tuesday. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $187.43 and a 12-month high of $322.34. The company has a current ratio of 3.02, a quick ratio of 2.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The company has a market cap of $17.57 billion, a PE ratio of 35.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.18. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $258.07 and a 200-day moving average price of $261.95.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.21. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.06% and a return on equity of 17.90%. The business had revenue of $805.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $795.70 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.82 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services’s quarterly revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.850-8.200 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, February 17th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to reacquire up to 5.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 29th will be given a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 29th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s payout ratio is 12.96%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on WST shares. Zacks Research raised West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Monday, December 1st. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $285.00 price objective on the stock. Barclays reduced their target price on West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $265.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, TD Cowen began coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $314.56.

About West Pharmaceutical Services

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.