Sivik Global Healthcare LLC Buys 4,000 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST)

Sivik Global Healthcare LLC increased its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 30.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 17,000 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,000 shares during the quarter. West Pharmaceutical Services makes up about 2.2% of Sivik Global Healthcare LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Sivik Global Healthcare LLC’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $5,103,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services in the 3rd quarter worth $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 lifted its stake 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 buying an additional 169 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 332.1% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 242 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $80,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Eastern Bank purchased a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the third quarter valued at approximately $82,000. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Charles Witherspoon sold 703 shares of West Pharmaceutical Services 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 transaction, the vice president now owns 1,253 shares in the company, valued at $388,931.20. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.53% of the stock is owned by insiders.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Down 1.5 %

NYSE:WST traded down $5.03 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $338.97. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 8,404 shares, compared to its average volume of 569,353. 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 has a fifty day moving average of $304.87 and a 200-day moving average of $316.60. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 1 year low of $265.00 and a 1 year high of $413.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.55 billion, a PE ratio of 51.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 24.78 and a beta of 1.00.

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 for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $746.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $709.62 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.16 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.66 earnings per share for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 13th will be issued a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.25%. This is a positive change from West Pharmaceutical Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 13th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 11.87%.

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.