Raymond James Trust N.A. cut its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST – Get Rating) by 20.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,260 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 580 shares during the period. Raymond James Trust N.A.’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $532,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 103.6% in the fourth quarter. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC now owns 112 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 57 shares during the period. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Private Trust Co. NA raised its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 194.6% in the third quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 165 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the period. BerganKDV Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 884.2% in the third quarter. BerganKDV Wealth Management LLC now owns 187 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 168 shares during the period. Finally, Standard Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the third quarter worth approximately $59,000. 91.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Stephens upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $330.00 to $400.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on West Pharmaceutical Services from $250.00 to $290.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. StockNews.com started coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Finally, KeyCorp increased their price objective on West Pharmaceutical Services from $315.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $313.00.
West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Up 1.2 %
West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST – Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.38. The business had revenue of $708.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $657.16 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 26.24% and a net margin of 20.30%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.04 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 7.38 EPS 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 3rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 26th will be given a $0.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 25th. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.21%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s payout ratio is 9.84%.
Insider Transactions at West Pharmaceutical Services
In other news, CEO Eric Mark Green sold 44,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $322.35, for a total value of $14,183,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 85,705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,627,006.75. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, SVP Silji Abraham sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $322.57, for a total value of $483,855.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 4,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,357,697.13. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Eric Mark Green sold 44,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $322.35, for a total value of $14,183,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 85,705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,627,006.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.13% of the company’s stock.
West Pharmaceutical Services Profile
West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc manufactures and markets pharmaceuticals, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare products. It operates through the following business segments: Proprietary Products and Contract-Manufactured Products. The Proprietary Products segment offers proprietary packaging, containment and drug delivery products, along with analytical lab services, to biologic, generic and pharmaceutical drug customers.
Featured Stories
- Get a free copy of the StockNews.com research report on West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
- MarketBeat Week in Review – 4/17 – 4/21
- 2 Industrial Strength Dividend Stocks Melting Up
- Proctor & Gamble Is Going To Set A New High
- AutoNation’s Plans are Keeping Analysts Around
- Netflix Increases Buybacks: Can It Complete A Reversal In 2023?
Receive News & Ratings for West Pharmaceutical Services Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for West Pharmaceutical Services and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
