Forte Capital LLC ADV reduced its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Free Report) by 86.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,891 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 12,487 shares during the period. Forte Capital LLC ADV's holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $568,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of WST. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Crewe Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 322.7% in the second quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 93 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC grew its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 5,633.3% in the second quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 172 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 169 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 332.1% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 242 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Up 0.1 %
NYSE:WST traded up $0.48 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $323.90. 600,808 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 570,514. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $265.00 and a 52-week high of $413.70. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $303.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of $317.91. The firm has a market cap of $23.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.06, a PEG ratio of 24.91 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 3.00 and a quick ratio of 2.23.
West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.35. The firm had revenue of $746.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $709.62 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 18.41% and a net margin of 17.37%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.16 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.66 EPS 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. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 13th will be given a dividend of $0.21 per share. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 13th. This is an increase from West Pharmaceutical Services's previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. West Pharmaceutical Services's dividend payout ratio is 11.87%.
Insider Activity at West Pharmaceutical Services
In other West Pharmaceutical Services news, VP Charles Witherspoon sold 703 shares of the business'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 directly owns 1,253 shares in the company, valued at $388,931.20. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
About West Pharmaceutical Services
(
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.
Further Reading
Before you consider West Pharmaceutical Services, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and West Pharmaceutical Services wasn't on the list.
While West Pharmaceutical Services currently has a "Moderate Buy" rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
Which stocks are likely to thrive in today's challenging market? Click the link below and we'll send you MarketBeat's list of ten stocks that will drive in any economic environment.
Get This Free Report
Like this article? Share it with a colleague.
Link copied to clipboard.
