USS Investment Management Ltd Sells 4,527 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST)

USS Investment Management Ltd trimmed its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 21.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 16,764 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 4,527 shares during the quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd's holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $5,493,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA increased its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 79 shares during the period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 150.9% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 133 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the period. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Up 2.6%

NYSE:WST traded up $5.39 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $210.98. The stock had a trading volume of 318,398 shares, compared to its average volume of 726,066. The business's 50 day moving average is $212.63 and its 200-day moving average is $269.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a current ratio of 2.79. The company has a market cap of $15.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.51, a P/E/G ratio of 6.74 and a beta of 1.14. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a one year low of $187.43 and a one year high of $352.33.

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 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.22 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $698.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $685.24 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 17.03% and a return on equity of 18.60%. The firm's revenue was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.56 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current fiscal 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 dividend of $0.21 per share. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.40%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 30th. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio is currently 13.19%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on WST. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. KeyCorp reduced their target price on shares of 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. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Tuesday, March 18th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $275.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $250.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $332.50.

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.