Annex Advisory Services LLC Boosts Stake in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST)

Annex Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 23.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 59,866 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 11,218 shares during the period. Annex Advisory Services LLC owned approximately 0.08% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $13,403,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 57.1% during the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 110 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA grew its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 138.6% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 136 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc raised its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 150.9% in the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 133 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. KeyCorp cut their price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $470.00 to $325.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 14th. Stephens upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered West Pharmaceutical Services from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Evercore ISI started coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Tuesday, March 18th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $275.00 price objective for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $332.50.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WST traded up $5.57 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $224.15. The company had a trading volume of 976,054 shares, compared to its average volume of 729,755. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a one year low of $187.43 and a one year high of $352.33. The company has a current ratio of 2.79, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The company's 50-day moving average price is $210.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $264.33. The firm has a market cap of $16.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.51, a PEG ratio of 6.74 and a beta of 1.09.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.22 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $698.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $685.24 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 18.60% and a net margin of 17.03%. The business's revenue was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.56 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 30th will be given a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 30th. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.37%. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio is currently 13.19%.

About West Pharmaceutical Services

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc designs, manufactures, and sells containment and delivery systems for injectable drugs and healthcare products in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in two segments, Proprietary Products and Contract-Manufactured Products.