West Pharmaceutical Services Announces Third Quarter 20...( - Sales up 11.2% and Earnings Per Di...),Health

- Sales up 11.2% and Earnings Per Diluted Share up 20% Excluding Tax Items

- - Expects to Earn $0.46 to $0.50 per Diluted Share in the Fourth Quarter -

- Conference Call to be held at 9 a.m. EDT Today -

LIONVILLE, Pa., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (NYSE: WST) today announced the results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007, reporting earnings of $0.36 per diluted share in the third quarter, including certain tax items. Summary non-GAAP consolidated results for the third quarter, which are adjusted to exclude the net tax charges of $2.3 million, or $0.06 per diluted share, were as follows:

Three Months Ended

September 30 %

($ millions, except per-share data ) 2007 2006 Change

Net Sales $242.7 $218.4 11.2 %

Gross Profit 64.3 59.5 8.1 %

Adjusted Operating Profit 21.5 19.7 9.1 %

Adjusted Diluted EPS $0.42 $0.35 20.0 %

A table accompanying this press release contains a reconciliation of results reported under US GAAP and the non-GAAP results included above, which are provided, in addition to and not as a substitute for, the reported GAAP results. The excluded items relate to changes to the Company's expectations regarding several prior-year tax contingencies.

"Our year-to-date and quarterly results reflect the fundamental strength in our packaging and delivery systems busines
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