West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report)'s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $312.04 and traded as high as $331.66. West Pharmaceutical Services shares last traded at $327.56, with a volume of 301,188 shares traded.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several analysts have issued reports on WST shares. UBS Group upgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price target for the company from $350.00 to $390.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Bank of America increased their target price on West Pharmaceutical Services from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Wolfe Research assumed coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They issued a "peer perform" rating on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, West Pharmaceutical Services has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $437.75.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on West Pharmaceutical Services
West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance
The business has a fifty day moving average of $323.25 and a 200-day moving average of $312.26. The company has a market cap of $23.78 billion, a PE ratio of 48.72, a P/E/G ratio of 25.04 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a current ratio of 3.00, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.
West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 17.37% and a return on equity of 18.41%. The business had revenue of $746.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $709.62 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.16 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 13th were given a dividend of $0.21 per share. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.26%. This is a boost from West Pharmaceutical Services's previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 13th. West Pharmaceutical Services's payout ratio is presently 12.46%.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, VP Charles Witherspoon sold 703 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $310.40, for a total value of $218,211.20. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,253 shares of the company's stock, valued at $388,931.20. This represents a 35.94 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.53% of the company's stock.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the third quarter worth about $30,000. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $41,000. Quest Partners LLC raised 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 acquiring an additional 169 shares during the last quarter. Eastern Bank bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the third quarter valued at $82,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 1,263.6% during the 2nd quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 300 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $99,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the company's stock.
About West Pharmaceutical Services
(
Get 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.
Featured Stories
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.
