West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) Shares Bought by BNP Paribas Financial Markets

BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 88.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 134,483 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 63,102 shares during the quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets owned about 0.19% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $40,366,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Crewe Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 322.7% in the 2nd quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 93 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the third quarter valued at $41,000. Quest Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 5,633.3% during the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 172 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 169 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LRI Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 1st quarter worth $86,000. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WST opened at $323.32 on Friday. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $265.00 and a 52-week high of $413.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.97, a PEG ratio of 24.42 and a beta of 1.00. 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’s fifty day simple moving average is $308.22 and its 200 day simple moving average is $313.34.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.35. West Pharmaceutical Services had a return on equity of 18.41% and a net margin of 17.37%. The firm had revenue of $746.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $709.62 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.16 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.67 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%.

Insider Buying and Selling at West Pharmaceutical Services

In related news, VP Charles Witherspoon sold 703 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.40, for a total value of $218,211.20. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,253 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $388,931.20. This represents a 35.94 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company 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.