APG Asset Management US Inc. Has $491,000 Position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST)

APG Asset Management US Inc. lessened its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 74.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,499 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 4,326 shares during the quarter. APG Asset Management US Inc.'s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $491,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in WST. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 626 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $205,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares during the period. Baron Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,926 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $631,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 18.9% during the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 239 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $78,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC raised its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC now owns 711 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $233,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, 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 valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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West Pharmaceutical Services Price Performance

Shares of WST traded down $1.81 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $210.86. The stock had a trading volume of 148,034 shares, compared to its average volume of 688,395. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a current ratio of 2.79. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 12 month low of $187.43 and a 12 month high of $394.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.24 billion, a PE ratio of 31.52, a PEG ratio of 6.74 and a beta of 1.22. The company's 50-day moving average is $229.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is $289.05.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.75 by $0.07. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 18.60% and a net margin of 17.03%. The company had revenue of $748.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $739.59 million. Research analysts expect that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be given a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 30th. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.40%. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.56%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $250.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, February 14th. Citigroup began coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $400.00 price objective on the stock. KeyCorp decreased their price target 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. StockNews.com downgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Evercore ISI assumed coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Tuesday, March 18th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $275.00 target price on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target 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.