West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) Short Interest Update

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) saw a significant increase in short interest in January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 2,560,146 shares, an increase of 33.4% from the January 15th total of 1,918,949 shares. Approximately 3.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 1,331,009 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.9 days. Based on an average daily volume of 1,331,009 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.9 days. Approximately 3.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On West Pharmaceutical Services

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 156.4% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 100 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Finally, Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Down 2.9%

Shares of WST stock traded down $7.22 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $243.27. 969,895 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,128,316. The stock has a market cap of $17.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.83, a PEG ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 2.34, a current ratio of 3.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. West Pharmaceutical Services has a fifty-two week low of $187.43 and a fifty-two week high of $322.34. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $260.57 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $261.78.

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

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 28th were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, January 28th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s payout ratio is currently 12.96%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 20th. Zacks Research upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Evercore lowered their target price on West Pharmaceutical Services from $390.00 to $320.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. KeyCorp boosted their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, TD Cowen began coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $314.56.

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.