STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the five analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $262.50.

STE has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of STERIS from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. JMP Securities reiterated a “market outperform” rating and set a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research note on Monday, November 18th. StockNews.com cut STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $260.00 price objective on shares of STERIS in a research report on Thursday, November 7th.

STERIS Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE STE opened at $207.98 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.53 billion, a PE ratio of 47.48 and a beta of 0.83. STERIS has a 52 week low of $197.82 and a 52 week high of $248.24. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $217.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $225.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a current ratio of 2.41.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.12 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.33 billion. STERIS had a net margin of 8.02% and a return on equity of 13.78%. The firm’s revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.03 earnings per share. Analysts predict that STERIS will post 9.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 19th were given a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.10%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 19th. STERIS’s payout ratio is 52.05%.

Insider Activity

In other STERIS news, SVP Cary L. Majors sold 1,682 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.32, for a total value of $365,532.24. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at $2,471,363.04. The trade was a 12.88 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.14% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in STERIS during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division acquired a new stake in shares of STERIS during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its position in shares of STERIS by 154.7% in the second quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 191 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the period. Isthmus Partners LLC acquired a new position in STERIS in the second quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Mascoma Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in STERIS during the second quarter worth about $61,000. 94.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

STERIS Company Profile

STERIS plc provides infection prevention products and services worldwide. It operates through four segments: Healthcare, Applied Sterilization Technologies, Life Sciences, and Dental. The Healthcare segment offers cleaning chemistries and sterility assurance products; automated endoscope reprocessing system and tracking products; endoscopy accessories, washers, sterilizers, and other pieces of capital equipment for the operation of a sterile processing department; and equipment used directly in the operating room, including surgical tables, lights, and connectivity solutions, as well as equipment management services.