Monte Financial Group LLC Boosts Position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST)

Monte Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,025 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the quarter. Monte Financial Group LLC’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $1,319,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the third quarter valued at approximately $41,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 60.8% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 209 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $68,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hilltop National Bank grew its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 47.9% in the 4th quarter. Hilltop National Bank now owns 216 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $71,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. 93.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

Shares of WST stock opened at $344.91 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $328.32 and its 200 day moving average price is $313.54. The company has a quick ratio of 2.23, a current ratio of 3.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.98 billion, a PE ratio of 51.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 18.59 and a beta of 1.00. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $265.00 and a 52-week high of $413.70.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.35. The company had revenue of $746.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $709.62 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 17.37% and a return on equity of 18.41%. The business’s revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.16 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.67 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently weighed in on WST. UBS Group upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $350.00 to $390.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $400.00 price target on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, West Pharmaceutical Services has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $430.20.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other West Pharmaceutical Services news, VP Charles Witherspoon sold 703 shares of West Pharmaceutical Services stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the vice president now owns 1,253 shares in the company, valued at approximately $388,931.20. The trade was a 35.94 % 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 own 0.53% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Company 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.