Squarepoint Ops LLC Acquires 39,055 Shares of STERIS plc $STE

Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its holdings in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 1,373.7% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 41,898 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 39,055 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $8,822,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bailard Inc. lifted its stake in STERIS by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 1,118 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $283,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of STERIS by 34.9% during the 2nd quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 174 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of STERIS by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC now owns 1,350 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $342,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. apricus wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of STERIS by 3.6% in the 1st quarter. apricus wealth LLC now owns 1,506 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $333,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in shares of STERIS by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,261 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $560,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. 94.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

STE has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of STERIS in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of STERIS from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, August 9th. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $275.00 price objective (up from $270.00) on shares of STERIS in a report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of STERIS from $275.00 to $270.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $271.33.

Insider Transactions at STERIS

In related news, VP John Zangerle sold 1,419 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $209.28, for a total value of $296,968.32. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 35,259 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,379,003.52. This trade represents a 3.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Mohsen Sohi sold 4,058 shares of STERIS stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.78, for a total value of $956,795.24. Following the transaction, the director owned 24,305 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,730,632.90. This trade represents a 14.31% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.12% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

STERIS Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:STE opened at $212.44 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. STERIS plc has a twelve month low of $195.14 and a twelve month high of $269.44. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $225.69 and its 200-day moving average is $221.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.97 and a beta of 0.91.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.49 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $1.49 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.49 billion. STERIS had a net margin of 13.34% and a return on equity of 14.34%. STERIS’s revenue was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.34 EPS. STERIS has set its FY 2027 guidance at 11.000-11.300 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that STERIS plc will post 11.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.69 per share. This is an increase from STERIS’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. This represents a $2.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is 33.74%.

About STERIS

STERIS plc (NYSE: STE) is a global provider of products and services designed to support infection prevention, sterilization, surgical procedures and other critical healthcare and life sciences activities. The company serves hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, dental practices, pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturers, medical device companies, and research organizations.

Its offerings include sterilizers, washers, surgical tables and lights, operating-room equipment, endoscopy products, infection-prevention consumables, and related maintenance and technical services.