New York State Common Retirement Fund decreased its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 94,215 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 3,941 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund owned 0.13% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $28,280,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Diversify Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the first quarter worth approximately $272,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 25.1% during the 1st quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 28,400 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $11,238,000 after purchasing an additional 5,690 shares during the last quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the first quarter worth $27,000. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 0.7% in the first quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 37,372 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $14,836,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 9.4% in the first quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 8,740 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $3,459,000 after buying an additional 753 shares in the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Down 0.5 %
Shares of NYSE:WST traded down $1.73 on Monday, hitting $314.77. 482,445 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 569,760. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 1-year low of $265.00 and a 1-year high of $413.70. The company has a market capitalization of $22.80 billion, a PE ratio of 46.70, a P/E/G ratio of 23.20 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a current ratio of 3.00. The firm's 50-day moving average is $301.68 and its 200 day moving average is $318.93.
West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $709.62 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.16 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.69 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 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 13th will be issued a $0.21 dividend. This is an increase 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%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 13th. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio is presently 12.46%.
Insider Transactions at West Pharmaceutical Services
In related news, VP Charles Witherspoon sold 1,029 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total value of $308,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 1,478 shares in the company, valued at $443,400. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 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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