Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. Trims Holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST)

Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. trimmed its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 24.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,131 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 1,690 shares during the quarter. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc.'s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $1,540,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Crewe Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 322.7% during the second quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 93 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the third quarter worth about $41,000. Quest Partners LLC boosted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 5,633.3% in the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 172 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $57,000 after buying an additional 169 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 332.1% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 242 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $80,000 after buying an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

West Pharmaceutical Services Price Performance

Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services stock traded down $4.09 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $318.56. 92,955 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 568,600. 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 business has a 50-day moving average of $309.13 and a 200 day moving average of $312.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.07 billion, a PE ratio of 47.15, a PEG ratio of 24.71 and a beta of 1.01. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $265.00 and a fifty-two week high of $413.70.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.35. The company had revenue of $746.90 million for 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 quarterly revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.16 EPS. On average, analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.64 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Charles Witherspoon sold 703 shares of the firm'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 transaction of $218,211.20. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 1,253 shares in the company, valued at $388,931.20. This trade represents a 35.94 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.