APG Asset Management N.V. lessened its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 37.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,437,402 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 871,445 shares during the quarter. West Pharmaceutical Services makes up approximately 1.3% of APG Asset Management N.V.'s portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest position. APG Asset Management N.V. owned 1.98% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $454,694,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased 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 valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc raised 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 purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the company's stock.
West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Up 3.4 %
West Pharmaceutical Services stock traded up $7.00 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $210.75. The company had a trading volume of 804,963 shares, compared to its average volume of 688,923. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 12 month low of $187.43 and a 12 month high of $394.42. The company has a market capitalization of $15.24 billion, a PE ratio of 31.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.74 and a beta of 1.22. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $231.81 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $289.85. The company has a current ratio of 2.79, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.
West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $748.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $739.59 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 17.03% and a return on equity of 18.60%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be issued a $0.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 30th. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.40%. West Pharmaceutical Services's payout ratio is currently 12.56%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Citigroup assumed coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a "buy" rating and a $400.00 target price on the stock. KeyCorp lowered their target price on West Pharmaceutical Services from $470.00 to $325.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Evercore ISI started coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Tuesday, March 18th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $275.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised West Pharmaceutical Services from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $250.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $332.50.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on West Pharmaceutical Services
West Pharmaceutical Services 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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