Gateway Investment Advisers LLC Boosts Stock Position in West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST)

Gateway Investment Advisers LLC raised its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,736 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the period. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC’s holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services were worth $521,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Pitcairn Co. raised its stake in West Pharmaceutical Services by 3.4% during the 1st quarter. Pitcairn Co. now owns 875 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $346,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC grew its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 4,495 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,779,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the period. RFG Advisory LLC grew its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $580,000 after buying an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC increased its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 4.7% during the second quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 742 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $244,000 after buying an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wallace Advisory Group LLC increased its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 4.5% during the first quarter. Wallace Advisory Group LLC now owns 957 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $379,000 after buying an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at West Pharmaceutical Services

In related news, VP Charles Witherspoon sold 1,029 shares of West Pharmaceutical Services stock in a transaction on Monday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total value of $308,700.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,478 shares in the company, valued at approximately $443,400. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.53% of the stock is owned by insiders.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Performance

West Pharmaceutical Services stock opened at $294.91 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a current ratio of 2.34. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $300.43 and a two-hundred day moving average of $328.07. The company has a market capitalization of $21.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.95, a PEG ratio of 10.35 and a beta of 1.01. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $265.00 and a fifty-two week high of $413.70.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.74 by ($0.22). The business had revenue of $702.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $729.36 million. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 18.25% and a return on equity of 19.17%. West Pharmaceutical Services’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.11 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.