Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 5.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 47,419 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 2,350 shares during the quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC owned approximately 0.07% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $10,616,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WST. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 150.9% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 133 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA increased 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 last quarter. Finally, Lindbrook Capital LLC increased its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 41.9% in the 4th quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 220 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
West Pharmaceutical Services Price Performance
Shares of NYSE WST traded down $1.85 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $216.11. 858,025 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 728,906. The company has a market capitalization of $15.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.31 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 2.03, a current ratio of 2.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $187.43 and a 52-week high of $352.33. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $213.74 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $256.53.
West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.45 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.22 by $0.23. The business had revenue of $698.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $685.24 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 18.23% and a net margin of 16.13%. The business's quarterly revenue was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.56 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current year.
West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 30th will be paid 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 yield of 0.39%. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.19%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
WST has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Tuesday, March 18th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $275.00 target price for the company. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, Stephens upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $332.50.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on WST
West Pharmaceutical Services Company Profile
(
Free Report)
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.
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