BNP Paribas Financial Markets Grows Stock Holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST)

BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 88.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 134,483 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 63,102 shares during the quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets owned 0.19% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $40,366,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 3rd quarter worth $41,000. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the third quarter worth approximately $791,000. FMR LLC raised its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 199.4% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 595,775 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $178,828,000 after purchasing an additional 396,780 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 13.8% in the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 78,562 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $23,587,000 after buying an additional 9,516 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can boosted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 10.4% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 174,725 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $54,339,000 after purchasing an additional 16,480 shares during the period. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

WST stock traded up $2.12 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $325.44. 305,786 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 571,402. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $23.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 24.42 and a beta of 1.00. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $308.46 and a 200-day simple moving average of $313.41. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $265.00 and a twelve month high of $413.70.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 18.41% and a net margin of 17.37%. The business had revenue of $746.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $709.62 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.16 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.67 earnings per share for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 13th were issued a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.26%. This is an increase from West Pharmaceutical Services's previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 13th. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio is presently 12.46%.

Insider Buying and Selling at West Pharmaceutical Services

In other West Pharmaceutical Services news, VP Charles Witherspoon sold 703 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $310.40, for a total transaction of $218,211.20. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 1,253 shares of the company's stock, valued at $388,931.20. The trade was a 35.94 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.53% of the company's stock.

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.