Royal London Asset Management Ltd. Raises Stake in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST)

Royal London Asset Management Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 4.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 33,428 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 1,368 shares during the quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd.'s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $10,950,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 6.3% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 3,449,811 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,130,020,000 after purchasing an additional 203,198 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 0.3% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,214,448 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $964,850,000 after buying an additional 10,060 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,740,183 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $520,569,000 after acquiring an additional 12,850 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 5,074.0% during the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 689,493 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $225,851,000 after acquiring an additional 676,167 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 21.8% in the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services stock traded down $0.99 on Wednesday, reaching $224.81. The company had a trading volume of 704,488 shares, compared to its average volume of 637,433. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $270.58 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $299.46. 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 52-week low of $197.01 and a 52-week high of $397.72. The firm has a market cap of $16.25 billion, a PE ratio of 33.60, a PEG ratio of 6.74 and a beta of 1.09.

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

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 0.37%. West Pharmaceutical Services's payout ratio is currently 12.56%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on WST shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised West Pharmaceutical Services from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $250.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, February 14th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a "peer perform" rating on the stock. Citigroup began coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a "buy" rating and a $400.00 target price for the company. Finally, UBS Group raised shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price target for the stock from $350.00 to $390.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus 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.