West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST Stock Sold by Yousif Capital Management LLC

Yousif Capital Management LLC cut its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 10.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,687 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 3,336 shares during the quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $10,636,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in WST. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter worth about $2,387,990,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter worth about $733,733,000. Generation Investment Management LLP acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter worth about $728,168,000. Findlay Park Partners LLP purchased a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the second quarter valued at about $214,196,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the second quarter valued at about $176,138,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Down 0.5%

NYSE:WST opened at $392.00 on Friday. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $223.83 and a 52-week high of $397.15. The company has a quick ratio of 2.12, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $362.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $337.18. The company has a market capitalization of $27.59 billion, a PE ratio of 50.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.13.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.37 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $872.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $839.98 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.98% and a return on equity of 20.11%. The firm’s revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.84 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 8.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 18th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 11th will be given a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 10th. This is an increase from West Pharmaceutical Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 11.27%.

Insider Transactions at West Pharmaceutical Services

In other West Pharmaceutical Services news, VP Annette Favorite sold 8,135 shares of West Pharmaceutical Services stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $340.81, for a total transaction of $2,772,489.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 16,845 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,740,944.45. The trade was a 32.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders have sold a total of 15,659 shares of company stock worth $5,443,749 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WST has been the subject of a number of research reports. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $410.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Monday, July 13th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $447.00 price target on the stock. Zacks Research cut West Pharmaceutical Services from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $425.00 price objective on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $391.17.

About West Pharmaceutical Services

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc develops and manufactures components and delivery systems used in the administration and packaging of injectable medicines and other healthcare products. Its offerings include elastomer closures, seals, syringe components, drug-delivery systems, and other specialized packaging components designed to support the safety, quality, and performance of pharmaceutical products.

The company also provides contract-manufacturing services for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical-device customers.