West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 7.850-8.200 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 7.730. The company issued revenue guidance of $3.2 billion-$3.3 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $3.2 billion.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Up 2.6%

WST opened at $249.99 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.18, a current ratio of 3.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. West Pharmaceutical Services has a 52 week low of $187.43 and a 52 week high of $322.34. The business’s 50 day moving average is $260.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $261.55. The firm has a market cap of $17.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 1.18.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.04 EPS 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 analysts’ expectations of $795.70 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.82 EPS. The company’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. On average, research analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services will post 6.62 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

The business 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 28th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio is currently 13.04%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $315.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 20th. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday, December 1st. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $285.00 price objective for the company. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $340.00 target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Friday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $314.56.

West Pharmaceutical Services News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting West Pharmaceutical Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Beat-and-guide: WST reported Q4 EPS of $2.04 vs. $1.83 consensus and revenue of $805M, and issued FY?2026 EPS guidance of $7.85–$8.20 with revenue ~$3.2–3.3B — the core reason investors pushed the stock higher. West Reports Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Strong demand for drug components: Reuters highlights management’s forecast for 2026 profit above estimates driven by robust demand for HVP components (syringes, cartridges), supporting margin and cash?flow outlook. West Pharma forecasts 2026 profit above estimates on strong demand for drug components
• Positive Sentiment: Proprietary product progress and outlook: Company commentary and analyst notes emphasize SmartDose and HVP-led growth, with management signaling SmartDose sale activity by mid?2026 — a potential revenue/margin driver. WST’s Q4 Earnings & Sales Beat, SmartDose Sale by Mid-2026, Stock Up
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: TD Cowen reiterated a Buy and kept a $350 price target, citing non?GLP?1 growth, margin expansion and regulatory tailwinds — reinforcing investor confidence. Buy Rating on West
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction coverage: Multiple outlets (Yahoo, Seeking Alpha, TipRanks) note stock strength following results and outlook, reflecting broad positive market reception. West Pharmaceutical Services (WST) Is Up 5.2% After Strong 2025 Results And 2026 Organic Growth Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance detail and call transcript: The full earnings call transcript and slide deck provide execution details and cadence for HVP and SmartDose commercialization — useful for modeling but not new directional news. West Pharmaceutical Services Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Peer/value comparison: A Zacks piece compares Cooper (COO) and WST for value seekers — useful for allocation decisions but not directly driving WST’s move. COO vs. WST: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro market commentary: Coverage noting WST’s role in broader indices/futures is descriptive — relevant for positioning but secondary to fundamentals. Is West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) a Pillar In S&P 500 Futures Performance
• Negative Sentiment: Relative underperformance note: MarketWatch flags that WST has underperformed some competitors recently despite daily gains — a reminder of sector competition and potential valuation scrutiny. West Pharmaceutical Services Inc. stock underperforms despite daily gains

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WST. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 16.1% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 1,611 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $361,000 after acquiring an additional 224 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 27.7% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,020 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,348,000 after purchasing an additional 1,307 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 14.1% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,271 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $284,000 after buying an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 78.2% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 449 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $98,000 after buying an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 168.4% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 46,332 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $10,137,000 after buying an additional 29,067 shares during the period. 93.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.