Hantz Financial Services Inc. cut its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 9.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 26,327 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 2,739 shares during the quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc.'s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $7,902,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Public Sector Pension Investment Board boosted its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 10.8% during the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 3,088 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $927,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 21.8% during the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 683,350 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $205,114,000 after purchasing an additional 122,361 shares during the period. Fiduciary Trust Co boosted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 15.9% in the third quarter. Fiduciary Trust Co now owns 1,486 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $446,000 after purchasing an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. FORA Capital LLC grew its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 1,098.6% in the 3rd quarter. FORA Capital LLC now owns 8,498 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $2,551,000 after purchasing an additional 7,789 shares during the period. Finally, Glenmede Trust Co. NA raised its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 4,092 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,228,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance
Shares of NYSE WST traded up $2.36 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $325.68. 305,786 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 572,081. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a current ratio of 3.00. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a one year low of $265.00 and a one year high of $413.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.32, a PEG ratio of 24.42 and a beta of 1.00. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $308.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $313.18.
West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.35. The business had revenue of $746.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $709.62 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 17.37% and a return on equity of 18.41%. The firm's revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.16 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.
West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 13th were issued a dividend of $0.21 per share. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 13th. This is a positive change from West Pharmaceutical Services's previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. West Pharmaceutical Services's payout ratio is currently 12.46%.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other West Pharmaceutical Services news, VP Charles Witherspoon sold 703 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $310.40, for a total value of $218,211.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,253 shares in the company, valued at $388,931.20. This represents a 35.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.53% of the company's stock.
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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