Gateway Investment Advisers LLC Sells 27,882 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Key Points

• Gateway Investment Advisers LLC reduced its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 56.3% in the second quarter, now holding 21,661 shares valued at approximately $4.74 million.
• West Pharmaceutical Services recently increased its quarterly dividend to $0.22 per share, up from $0.21, affirming its commitment to returning value to shareholders.
• The company reported $1.84 earnings per share in its last earnings release, surpassing analysts' expectations of $1.51, contributing to a year-over-year revenue increase of 9.2%.

Gateway Investment Advisers LLC decreased its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 56.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 21,661 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 27,882 shares during the period. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC's holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $4,739,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Boston Trust Walden Corp boosted its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 4.7% during the 1st quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 1,110 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $249,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Formidable Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Formidable Asset Management LLC now owns 2,067 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $677,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 0.7% during the first quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 7,887 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,766,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the period. Horizon Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 5.8% during the first quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 1,048 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $234,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the period. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 22.7% during the first quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 340 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.90% of the company's stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Down 0.1%

NYSE:WST traded down $0.29 on Friday, hitting $254.69. 1,297,599 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 818,989. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.13, a P/E/G ratio of 4.55 and a beta of 1.05. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $187.43 and a 52 week high of $352.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a current ratio of 2.78. The company's 50-day moving average price is $243.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $226.24.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.84 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.33. The company had revenue of $766.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $725.11 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 18.43% and a net margin of 16.48%.West Pharmaceutical Services's revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.52 EPS. West Pharmaceutical Services has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.650-6.850 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 earnings per share for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. This is a boost from West Pharmaceutical Services's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 12th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.17%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WST has been the subject of several research reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn initiated coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Monday. They set a "buy" rating and a $311.00 price target for the company. Redburn Partners set a $311.00 price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Monday. Barclays began coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Tuesday, June 24th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $245.00 price target for the company. Rothschild Redb upgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $318.56.

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.