West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) Shares Sold by Congress Asset Management Co.

Congress Asset Management Co. decreased its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 317,469 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 7,918 shares during the period. Congress Asset Management Co. owned about 0.44% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $95,292,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WST. Findlay Park Partners LLP increased its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 30.6% in the first quarter. Findlay Park Partners LLP now owns 597,106 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $236,281,000 after acquiring an additional 139,800 shares in the last quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 6.8% during the 2nd quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 593,692 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $195,556,000 after acquiring an additional 37,702 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 13.9% in the 1st quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 500,662 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $198,117,000 after acquiring an additional 61,247 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 12.7% during the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 401,026 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $132,095,000 after buying an additional 45,208 shares during the period. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 9.8% in the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 301,339 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $99,258,000 after purchasing an additional 26,947 shares during the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services stock traded down $5.12 during trading on Thursday, reaching $307.90. The company's stock had a trading volume of 966,427 shares, compared to its average volume of 569,893. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $265.00 and a 52 week high of $413.70. The business's 50-day moving average price is $301.40 and its 200-day moving average price is $320.19. The company has a quick ratio of 2.23, a current ratio of 3.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm has a market cap of $22.30 billion, a PE ratio of 45.68, a P/E/G ratio of 23.68 and a beta of 1.01.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.35. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 18.41% and a net margin of 17.37%. The firm had revenue of $746.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $709.62 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.16 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.55 earnings per share for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 13th. This is a boost from West Pharmaceutical Services's previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.27%. West Pharmaceutical Services's payout ratio is 12.46%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Charles Witherspoon sold 703 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.40, for a total transaction of $218,211.20. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 1,253 shares in the company, valued at approximately $388,931.20. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.53% of the stock is owned by insiders.

West Pharmaceutical Services Company Profile

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.