Rockland Trust Co. Buys 5,087 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. $WST

Rockland Trust Co. raised its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 6.5% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 83,066 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 5,087 shares during the quarter. Rockland Trust Co.’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $21,791,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Generation Investment Management LLP purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter valued at $255,072,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the second quarter valued at $200,813,000. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 46.8% in the second quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 738,368 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $161,555,000 after acquiring an additional 235,272 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 83.4% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 502,831 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $111,236,000 after acquiring an additional 228,696 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Border to Coast Pensions Partnership Ltd bought a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 3rd quarter worth about $40,853,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE WST opened at $248.82 on Tuesday. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $187.43 and a twelve month high of $325.20. The firm has a market cap of $17.90 billion, a PE ratio of 36.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.43 and a beta of 1.18. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $263.66 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $261.97. The company has a quick ratio of 2.18, a current ratio of 2.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 28th were paid a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 28th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio is 13.04%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on WST shares. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Monday, December 1st. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $285.00 price objective on the stock. KeyCorp increased their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $325.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Barclays raised their price target on West Pharmaceutical Services from $275.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. TD Cowen started coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $345.00 target price on West Pharmaceutical Services and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, West Pharmaceutical Services currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $330.13.

West Pharmaceutical Services Profile

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc is a global developer and manufacturer of components, systems and services that enable the containment and delivery of injectable drugs. The company focuses on high-quality packaging and delivery solutions for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, producing primary drug packaging components and specialized drug delivery devices used for vaccines, biologics and other injectable therapies. West is known for its elastomeric closures, seals and polymer components that maintain sterility and compatibility with sensitive drug formulations.

In addition to component manufacturing, West provides engineered delivery systems and support services across the product lifecycle.