Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Grows Position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST)

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 2.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 15,077 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 409 shares during the quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $4,939,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 57.1% during the 4th quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 110 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 150.9% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 133 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Up 3.0 %

Shares of WST stock opened at $230.33 on Friday. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 1-year low of $197.01 and a 1-year high of $400.88. The firm has a market cap 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 of $285.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $303.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 2.79 and a quick ratio of 2.23.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last posted 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 firm had revenue of $748.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $739.59 million. On average, analysts predict that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.62 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on WST shares. Bank of America boosted their price objective on West Pharmaceutical Services from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Citigroup started coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $400.00 price target for the company. UBS Group upgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the company from $350.00 to $390.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised West Pharmaceutical Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $344.00.

About West Pharmaceutical Services

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.