West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) Stock Holdings Lifted by EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC

EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 548.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 635 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 537 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $208,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 57.1% in the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 110 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 150.9% during the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 133 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. 93.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

West Pharmaceutical Services Price Performance

NYSE WST opened at $230.33 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.23, a current ratio of 2.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.65 billion, a PE ratio of 34.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.74 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $285.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $303.25. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $197.01 and a 12-month high of $400.88.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.07. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 17.03% and a return on equity of 18.60%. The business had revenue of $748.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $739.59 million. As a group, equities analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be paid a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.36%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 30th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s payout ratio is 12.56%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. KeyCorp decreased their price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $470.00 to $325.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 14th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $400.00 price target for the company. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a report on Friday, December 13th. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. Finally, UBS Group upgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $350.00 to $390.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $344.00.

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.