FORA Capital LLC Has $2.55 Million Holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST)

FORA Capital LLC increased its position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 1,098.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 8,498 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,789 shares during the period. FORA Capital LLC’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $2,551,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. FMR LLC boosted its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 199.4% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 595,775 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $178,828,000 after buying an additional 396,780 shares during the period. LGT Group Foundation purchased a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services in the 2nd quarter worth about $68,854,000. Liontrust Investment Partners LLP acquired a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 2nd quarter worth about $64,196,000. Champlain Investment Partners LLC grew its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 29.7% during the 3rd quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 444,000 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $133,271,000 after acquiring an additional 101,710 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 88.4% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 134,483 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $40,366,000 after acquiring an additional 63,102 shares in the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Down 0.0 %

Shares of NYSE WST traded down $0.10 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $319.25. The company had a trading volume of 55,778 shares, compared to its average volume of 571,017. 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 company has a market capitalization of $23.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.38, a PEG ratio of 24.15 and a beta of 1.00. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $307.46 and a two-hundred day moving average of $313.59. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $265.00 and a 12-month high of $413.70.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 17.37% and a return on equity of 18.41%. The business had revenue of $746.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $709.62 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.16 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.67 EPS for the current year.

West Pharmaceutical Services Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 20th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 13th were paid a $0.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 13th. This is a boost from West Pharmaceutical Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.26%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s payout ratio is 12.46%.

Insider Transactions at West Pharmaceutical Services

In related news, VP Charles Witherspoon sold 703 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,253 shares in the company, valued at approximately $388,931.20. The trade was a 35.94 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by company 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.