Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Sells 59,156 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST)

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lowered its position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 9.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 577,417 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 59,156 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned about 0.80% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $173,317,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Crewe Advisors LLC raised its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 322.7% in the second quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 93 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC grew 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 period. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 332.1% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 242 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eastern Bank bought a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 3rd quarter worth $82,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

NYSE:WST opened at $316.59 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a current ratio of 3.00. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $307.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $314.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.93 billion, a PE ratio of 46.97, a P/E/G ratio of 24.24 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $746.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $709.62 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.16 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.67 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 13th were given a dividend of $0.21 per share. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.27%. This is an increase from West Pharmaceutical Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 13th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.46%.

Insider Activity 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 transaction of $218,211.20. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 1,253 shares in the company, valued at approximately $388,931.20. This trade represents a 35.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.53% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.