West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) Shares Bought by LGT Group Foundation

Key Points

• LGT Group Foundation increased its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 106.3% in Q1, owning 221,041 shares worth approximately $49.5 million.
• Analysts have raised the price target for West Pharmaceutical Services, with UBS increasing its target from $285 to $320, and a consensus rating classified as "Moderate Buy".
• West Pharmaceutical Services announced a quarterly dividend increase from $0.21 to $0.22, with an annualized yield of 0.4%.

LGT Group Foundation lifted its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 106.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 221,041 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 113,917 shares during the period. LGT Group Foundation owned 0.31% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $49,487,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Boston Trust Walden Corp increased 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 during the last quarter. MGO One Seven LLC lifted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 1,277 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $418,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV lifted its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV now owns 9,318 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $3,105,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Formidable Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Formidable Asset Management LLC now owns 2,067 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $677,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd increased its stake 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 valued at $1,766,000 after buying an additional 57 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.90% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on WST shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, July 26th. Evercore ISI increased their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $275.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, July 25th. Stephens raised West Pharmaceutical Services to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, Barclays initiated coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Tuesday, June 24th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $245.00 target price on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $320.71.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Down 0.0%

NYSE WST traded down $0.04 during trading on Friday, hitting $246.16. 781,012 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 876,536. The company has a market capitalization of $17.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.85, a PEG ratio of 4.36 and a beta of 1.05. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $230.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $229.36. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 12 month low of $187.43 and a 12 month high of $352.33. The company has a current ratio of 2.78, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.33. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.48% and a return on equity of 18.43%. The firm had revenue of $766.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $725.11 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.52 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This is an increase from West Pharmaceutical Services's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 12th. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.57%.

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.