Rhenman & Partners Asset Management AB Takes $1.93 Million Position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Rhenman & Partners Asset Management AB bought a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 7,000 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $1,926,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of WST. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $272,041,000. Generation Investment Management LLP grew its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 60.0% during the 4th quarter. Generation Investment Management LLP now owns 1,561,869 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $429,733,000 after acquiring an additional 585,855 shares during the period. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership grew its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 22.2% during the 3rd quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 2,770,920 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $726,895,000 after acquiring an additional 503,601 shares during the period. Steadfast Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $123,667,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 420.1% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 545,879 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $142,949,000 after acquiring an additional 440,929 shares during the period. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Down 0.6%

WST opened at $328.33 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $298.97 and a 200 day moving average of $271.63. The company has a market cap of $23.20 billion, a PE ratio of 43.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.18. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 12 month low of $206.80 and a 12 month high of $336.82. The company has a current ratio of 2.71, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.45. The company had revenue of $844.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $779.68 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.85% and a return on equity of 19.03%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.45 EPS. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.400-8.750 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.120 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.6 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock 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 repurchase up to 5.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at West Pharmaceutical Services

In other West Pharmaceutical Services news, VP Annette F. Favorite sold 2,817 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.20, for a total value of $859,748.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 16,828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,135,905.60. This trade represents a 14.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Chad Winters sold 896 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.67, for a total transaction of $269,400.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,523 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $457,920.41. The trade was a 37.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on WST shares. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Zacks Research raised shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Monday, June 1st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $375.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Friday, April 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, West Pharmaceutical Services presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $340.09.

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.