Mizuho Securities USA LLC Acquires 2,960 Shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE)

Mizuho Securities USA LLC lifted its holdings in shares of STERIS plc (NYSE:STE) by 46.3% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 9,355 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,960 shares during the period. Mizuho Securities USA LLC’s holdings in STERIS were worth $1,923,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in STERIS by 171.2% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 838,569 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $191,370,000 after acquiring an additional 529,308 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of STERIS by 30.8% during the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 10,970 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $2,275,000 after purchasing an additional 2,583 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in STERIS in the third quarter valued at about $9,949,000. Public Sector Pension Investment Board lifted its stake in STERIS by 13.2% in the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 4,283 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,039,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Finally, Merit Financial Group LLC bought a new position in STERIS during the fourth quarter worth about $260,000. 94.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

STERIS Stock Up 1.2 %

STERIS stock opened at $223.03 on Tuesday. STERIS plc has a twelve month low of $197.82 and a twelve month high of $248.24. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 2.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a 50 day moving average of $221.34 and a 200-day moving average of $221.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.91 billion, a PE ratio of 47.35 and a beta of 0.92.

STERIS (NYSE:STE) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.33 by ($0.01). STERIS had a return on equity of 13.91% and a net margin of 8.66%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that STERIS plc will post 9.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

STERIS Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 21st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 20th were paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 20th. STERIS’s payout ratio is 48.41%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on STE shares. Piper Sandler upped their price target on STERIS from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $265.00 target price on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $240.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a report on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.75.

About STERIS

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.