West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) Shares Acquired by Amalgamated Bank

Amalgamated Bank raised its position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 1.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,749 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 145 shares during the period. Amalgamated Bank’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $3,302,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. National Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter worth about $706,000. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 34.7% in the 1st quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 5,581 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,249,000 after acquiring an additional 1,437 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 41.0% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 571 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $187,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc grew its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 150.9% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 133 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. grew its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 43.7% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,075 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $241,000 after acquiring an additional 327 shares during the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

NYSE:WST opened at $221.75 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $215.83 and a 200-day moving average of $249.79. The company has a current ratio of 2.77, a quick ratio of 2.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 1 year low of $187.43 and a 1 year high of $352.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.47 and a beta of 1.09.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.45 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.22 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $698.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $685.24 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 16.13% and a return on equity of 18.23%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s revenue was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.56 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 30th will be issued a $0.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 30th. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.38%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.19%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Tuesday, June 24th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $245.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Tuesday, March 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $275.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Stephens upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $320.00.

West Pharmaceutical Services Profile

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.