Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Purchases 12,769 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST)

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 49.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 38,678 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,769 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned approximately 0.05% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $11,610,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services during the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in West Pharmaceutical Services during the third quarter worth $30,000. Crewe Advisors LLC raised its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 322.7% during the second quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 93 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 820.0% during the 1st quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 138 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quest Partners LLC increased its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 169 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Stock Down 6.9 %

WST opened at $307.92 on Monday. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $265.00 and a twelve month high of $413.70. 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 business has a 50 day moving average price of $300.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $321.30. The firm has a market cap of $22.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 10.21 and a beta of 1.01.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last issued 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 $1.51 by $0.34. West Pharmaceutical Services had a net margin of 18.25% and a return on equity of 19.17%. The business had revenue of $746.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $709.62 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.16 earnings per share. West Pharmaceutical Services’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.42 EPS 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. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 13th will be given a $0.21 dividend. This is an increase from West Pharmaceutical Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 13th. West Pharmaceutical Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 11.08%.

Insider Transactions at West Pharmaceutical Services

In other West Pharmaceutical Services news, VP Charles Witherspoon sold 1,029 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the vice president now owns 1,478 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $443,400. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.