West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (WST)
West Pharmaceutical Services makes the essential components, like stoppers and seals, that keep injectable medicines safe and sterile for patients worldwide.
Is West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: West Pharmaceutical Services makes the essential components, like stoppers and seals, that keep injectable medicines safe and sterile for patients worldwide.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Dominance in the growing market for complex injectable biologics.
Technological shifts making their current packaging methods obsolete.
What does West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. do?
Think of West Pharmaceutical as the unsung hero of the medical world; they provide the high-tech packaging and delivery systems that ensure life-saving drugs stay pure until they reach the patient. Revenue flows in from partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies, supplying these critical components for everything from vaccines to complex injectable treatments. Much depends on how well they keep pace with the growing demand for new, sophisticated injectable medicines, a big driver for their business.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on momentum and quality, and weakest on value.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 0.3% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 14% over the year
- ✓Very profitable - turns about 17% of sales into profit
- !High P/E of 43 - big growth is already priced in
- ✓Low debt - a sturdier balance sheet
- ✓Strong return on shareholder money (ROE 19%)
- Momentum screens high (74/100)
- Essential role in the pharmaceutical supply chain
- Strong double-digit revenue and earnings growth
- High return on equity indicating efficient management
- Value screens low (18/100)
- Heavy reliance on a few large pharmaceutical clients
- Potential for manufacturing or quality control issues
- Regulatory changes affecting medical device standards
What do West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How much money does West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. pay a dividend?
Yes - West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. currently pays a dividend of about 0.3% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
When does West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-22 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-23 | $2.08 | $2.37 | Beat +14% |
| 2026-04-23 | $1.68 | $2.13 | Beat +27% |
| 2026-02-12 | $1.83 | $2.04 | Beat +12% |
| 2025-10-23 | $1.71 | $1.96 | Beat +15% |
| 2025-07-24 | $1.54 | $1.84 | Beat +20% |
| 2025-04-24 | $1.26 | $1.45 | Beat +15% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 6 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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Agilent Technologies, Inc.What are the scenarios for West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Essential role in the pharmaceutical supply chain
- Strong double-digit revenue and earnings growth
- High return on equity indicating efficient management
- High valuation multiples compared to the broader market
- Very low dividend yield for income-focused investors
- High sensitivity to pharmaceutical industry R&D cycles
- Heavy reliance on a few large pharmaceutical clients
- Potential for manufacturing or quality control issues
- Regulatory changes affecting medical device standards
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A significant, sustained drop in pharmaceutical research spending
- The emergence of a disruptive new technology that replaces injectable delivery methods
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.