2,135 Shares in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) Acquired by First National Bank Sioux Falls

First National Bank Sioux Falls bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund bought 2,135 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $478,000.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on WST shares. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $275.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $250.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, February 14th. KeyCorp cut their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $470.00 to $325.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered West Pharmaceutical Services from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Two 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $332.50.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Up 1.6%

NYSE:WST traded up $3.68 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $227.45. The stock had a trading volume of 757,302 shares, compared to its average volume of 733,000. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 2.79 and a quick ratio of 2.23. The company has a market capitalization of $16.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.74 and a beta of 1.09. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 1-year low of $187.43 and a 1-year high of $352.33. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $210.40 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $262.40.

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

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

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

West Pharmaceutical Services Company Profile

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.