Findlay Park Partners LLP Has $210.42 Million Position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Findlay Park Partners LLP lessened its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 1.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 802,106 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 14,500 shares during the quarter. West Pharmaceutical Services makes up approximately 2.2% of Findlay Park Partners LLP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. Findlay Park Partners LLP’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $210,416,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in WST. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 193.9% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 144 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 1,842.9% in the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 136 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares during the last quarter. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the third quarter valued at $47,000. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter worth $47,000. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

Shares of WST stock opened at $254.10 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $256.49 and a 200-day moving average of $261.89. The company has a market cap of $18.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 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, Inc. has a 52 week low of $187.43 and a 52 week high of $322.34.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $805.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.82 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.850-8.200 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 earnings per share for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Tuesday, February 17th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical instruments supplier to buy up to 5.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 29th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 29th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.96%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Zacks Research upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Evercore decreased their target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $390.00 to $320.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $265.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $315.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus 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.