Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Acquires 39,745 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. increased its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 7.9% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 545,050 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 39,745 shares during the period. West Pharmaceutical Services makes up approximately 0.8% of Epoch Investment Partners Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position. Epoch Investment Partners Inc.’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $136,611,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WST. Darwin Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 10.8% in the fourth quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 410 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $113,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd grew its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 0.3% during the first quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 13,773 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $3,452,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Compound Planning Inc. grew its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 3.6% during the first quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 1,224 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $307,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 905 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $249,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the period. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 90.9% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 105 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Chad Winters sold 896 shares of West Pharmaceutical Services stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.67, for a total value of $269,400.32. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 1,523 shares in the company, valued at $457,920.41. The trade was a 37.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, VP Annette F. Favorite sold 2,817 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.20, for a total transaction of $859,748.40. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 16,828 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,135,905.60. The trade was a 14.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on WST. Zacks Research upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $360.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Friday, April 24th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, June 1st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $375.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $410.00 price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Monday, July 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, West Pharmaceutical Services currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $363.17.

West Pharmaceutical Services News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: West posted a strong second quarter, with adjusted EPS of $2.37 and revenue of $872.3 million, both above expectations. The company also raised full-year 2026 EPS guidance and gave third-quarter guidance that topped consensus, which supports the longer-term outlook. West Reports Second-Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Demand remains strong for high-value injectable drug components, including products tied to GLP-1 and biologics markets, which helped drive the beat and the higher outlook. Reuters article on raised forecast
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors may be taking profits after the stock’s sharp earnings-driven surge in the prior session, especially since there was no major new negative company announcement or filing behind today’s weakness. Quiver Quantitative article
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent insider sales from two executives may add a small overhang, but the activity is limited and does not appear to be the main driver of the stock’s move. Insider trading details

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Down 7.6%

Shares of NYSE:WST opened at $328.61 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $337.02 and its 200 day moving average is $287.43. The company has a market cap of $23.22 billion, a PE ratio of 42.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.82 and a quick ratio of 2.04. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 1 year low of $223.83 and a 1 year high of $386.00.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $872.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $839.98 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 20.11% and a net margin of 16.98%.The business’s revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.84 EPS. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.140-2.240 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.850-9.050 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.95 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 29th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 29th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 11.76%.

West Pharmaceutical Services 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.