Riverbridge Partners LLC Sells 21,456 Shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST)

Riverbridge Partners LLC reduced its position in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE:WST) by 4.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 435,293 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 21,456 shares during the period. West Pharmaceutical Services comprises about 1.9% of Riverbridge Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Riverbridge Partners LLC owned 0.60% of West Pharmaceutical Services worth $142,585,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Seilern Investment Management Ltd bought a new stake in West Pharmaceutical Services during the 4th quarter worth about $145,379,000. FMR LLC grew its stake in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 199.4% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 595,775 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $178,828,000 after purchasing an additional 396,780 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in shares of West Pharmaceutical Services by 21.8% in the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 683,350 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $205,114,000 after purchasing an additional 122,361 shares in the last quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC raised its position in West Pharmaceutical Services by 29.7% in the 3rd quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 444,000 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $133,271,000 after purchasing an additional 101,710 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DF Dent & Co. Inc. lifted its holdings in West Pharmaceutical Services by 33.0% during the 3rd quarter. DF Dent & Co. Inc. now owns 397,152 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $119,209,000 after buying an additional 98,564 shares in the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

West Pharmaceutical Services Trading Up 0.8 %

West Pharmaceutical Services stock opened at $347.51 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $327.60 and a 200 day simple moving average of $313.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.56, a PEG ratio of 18.42 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a current ratio of 3.00. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $265.00 and a 52 week high of $413.70.

West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $709.62 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.16 EPS. West Pharmaceutical Services’s revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. will post 6.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of West Pharmaceutical Services from $350.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. Citigroup began coverage on West Pharmaceutical Services in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $400.00 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS Group upgraded West Pharmaceutical Services from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $350.00 to $390.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, West Pharmaceutical Services currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $430.20.

Insider Transactions at West Pharmaceutical Services

In related news, VP Charles Witherspoon sold 703 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $310.40, for a total transaction of $218,211.20. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 1,253 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $388,931.20. This represents a 35.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.53% of the company’s stock.

West Pharmaceutical Services Company 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.